Voting (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)

The first of two primary elections this year came to a conclusion on Tuesday, deciding the general election nominees for governor, lieutenant governor, and state Assembly seats, along with choices for certain judicial and county-level party positions. 

At the statewide level in the Democratic primary, Governor Kathy Hochul and Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado easily prevailed in their respective races and will formally run on a joint ticket in the general election. On the Republican side, U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin won the nomination in a more closely decided four-way contest and will form a ticket with his running-mate Alison Esposito, who ran unopposed. Those two major party tickets will also see the nominees of smaller parties like Green and Libertarian on the general election ballot.

Overall, incumbents did very well in the primary, including Hochul and Delgado but also throughout the state Assembly whether they were establishment-backed members, moderates or progressives. 

The statewide results were a particular disappointment for progressives, however. New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams' bid for governor failed to establish the type of momentum that the left had garnered in previous election cycles. His running-mate, Ana Maria Archila, galvanized progressives and fared better in her race but nonetheless fell short. 

In state Assembly races too, progressive challengers to incumbent Democrats saw few wins. The Working Families Party, the Democratic Socialists of America-New York City, and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez all came together to support a slate of candidates in the Assembly primary, including four incumbents, four candidates challenging sitting Democrats, and one running for an open seat. While the incumbents held on, either one or two of the five new challengers was successful – in the 103rd District in upstate, Sarahana Shreshta defeated longtime Assemblymember Kevin Cahill; and the race in Brooklyn’s 54th Assembly District, where Samy Nemir Olivares challenged Assemblymember Erik Dilan, is still too close to call. Another candidate, Juan Ardila, who was endorsed by the WFP and Ocasio-Cortez but not by DSA, also won his race for an open seat in Queens' 37th District. 

Two other incumbents lost their races on Tuesday. In the Bronx's 78th District, 40-year incumbent Assemblymember Jose Rivera lost to challenger George Alvarez. And in Westchester's 92nd District, Assemblymember Tom Abinanti lost to progressive challenger MaryJane Shimsky.  

At the more local level, there is an ongoing civil war in the Brooklyn Democratic Party, where a coalition of reformers are hoping to unseat the party chair, Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn. Under the banner of “Brooklyn Can’t Wait,” the coalition backed a slate of 20 candidates for district leader, including many who challenged incumbents that are allied with Bichotte Hermelyn. The party’s 44 district leaders in the borough elect the party chair.

The coalition saw several successes on primary day – 13 candidates won seats, including seven first-time candidates – which could shake things up within the Brooklyn Democrats as they join a batch of reformers already holding district leader seats. It remains to be seen, however, whether they will have enough votes to replace Bichotte Hermelyn at the next party chair election, though as of now it appears Bichotte Hermelyn will retain enough support to remain county leader.

Here’s a full look at the results as of mid-day Wednesday, June 29, with some absentee ballots still being counted. In virtually every Assembly seat in New York City, the Democratic primary winner is all but certain to prevail in the general election given the overwhelming Democratic voter enrollment advantage in the city.

Assembly Races

Queens
In District 24, Assemblymember David Weprin won, defeating two challengers.

In District 28, Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi won, defeating one challenger.

In District 29, Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman won, defeating one challenger.

In District 30, Steven Raga won an open race. 

In District 32, Assemblymember Vivian E. Cook won, defeating one challenger.

In District 33, Assemblymember Clyde Vanel won, defeating one challenger.

In District 35, Assemblymember Jeffrion Aubry won, defeating his challenger, Hiram Monserrate.

In District 37, Juan Ardila won an open race. 

In District 40, Assemblymember Ron Kim won, defeating one challenger.

Brooklyn
In District 43, Assemblymember Brian Cunningham won, defeating three challengers.

In District 46, Assemblymember Mathylde Frontus won, defeating one challenger.

In District 50, Assemblymember Emily Gallagher won, defeating one challenger.

In District 51, Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes won, defeating one challenger.

In District 54, Assemblymember Erik Dilan and challenger Samy Nemir Olivares are in a too-close-to-call race.

In District 55, Assemblymember Latrice Walker won, defeating one challenger.

In District 57, Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest won, defeating one challenger.

In District 58, Assemblymember Monique Chandler-Waterman won, defeating one challenger.

In District 60, Assemblymember Nikki Lucas won, defeating one challenger. 

Staten Island
In District 61, Assemblymember Charles Fall won, defeating one challenger.

In District 63, in the only Republican Assembly primary across the city, Sam Pirozzolo defeated Paul Ciurcina Jr.

Manhattan
In District 65, where there was an open race, Grace Lee won against three other candidates to become the likely successor to Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, who is running for Congress.

In District 66, Assemblymember Deborah Glick won, beating one challenger. 

In District 68, Assemblymember Edward Gibbs won, beating three challengers.

In District 70, Assemblymember Inez Dickens won, defeating two challengers. 

In District  71, Assemblymember Al Taylor won, beating one challenger.

In District 72, Assemblymember Manny De Los Santos won, beating two challengers. 

In District 73, Alex Bores won an open seat with a tight margin, defeating four other candidates. 

In District 75, Tony Simone won an open seat, defeating four other candidates to become the likely replacement for Assemblymember Dick Gottfried, who is retiring after 52 years in the Assembly.

In District 76, Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright won, defeating one challenger. 

The Bronx
In District 78, George Alvarez won, defeating incumbent Assemblymember Jose Rivera and one other candidate.

In District 81, Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz won, defeating one challenger.

In District 82, Assemblymember Michael Benedetto won, defeating two challengers.

In District 84, Assemblymember Amanda Septimo won, defeating two challengers.

In District 86, Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia won, defeating one challenger.

Brooklyn Democratic Party District Leader Races contested by the “Brooklyn Can’t Wait” Reform Slate

District 43 
Male State Committee – Akel Williams defeated incumbent Edu Hermelyn.
Female State Committee – Kellan Calder lost to incumbent Sarana Purcell. 

District 46
Female State Committee – Angela Kravtchenko lost to incumbent Dionne Brown-Jordan.

District 51
Female State Committee – Jacqui Painter defeated incumbent Arelis Martinez.

District 52
Male State Committee – Aaron Ouyang won against two candidates. 
Female State Committee – Lydia Green won against two candidates. 

District 53
Male State Committee – Felix Ceballos defeated Tommy Torres.

District 54
Male State Committee – Robert Camacho defeated Heriberto Mateo.  
Female State Committee – Aciré Polight lost to incumbent Arleny Alvarado-McCalla.

District 56
Female State Committee – Monae Priolenau lost to incumbent Kenesha Traynham Cooper.

District 57
Male State Committee – Michael Boomer defeated Michael Cox.
Female State Committee – incumbent Shaquana Boykin defeated Renee Collymore.  

District 59
Female State Committee – Naomi Hopkins lost to Roxanne Persaud.

Note - this article has been updated.