2002 New York gubernatorial election
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The 2002 New York gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002. Republican Governor George Pataki was re-elected to a third term. As of 2026, this was the last statewide election won by a Republican in New York.
Pataki faced Democrat Carl McCall and Rochester billionaire Tom Golisano, who ran on the Independence Party line. On Election Day, Pataki was easily re-elected with 49.40% of the vote. McCall received 33.50% of the vote, carrying New York City (other than Staten Island) and nearly carrying Albany County. Golisano received 14.28% of the vote and carried his home county of Monroe in western New York. This was the first time since 1978 that the winner of the gubernatorial election was of the same party as the incumbent president.
Republican primary
Candidates
- George Pataki, Governor of New York since 1995
Declined
- Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City (1994–2001)
Results
Pataki won the nomination unopposed.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- H. Carl McCall, New York State Comptroller
Withdrew
- Andrew Cuomo, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and son of Mario Cuomo
Campaign
Comptroller Carl McCall defeated Andrew Cuomo at the Democratic State Convention, and Cuomo withdrew from the race less than a week before the Democratic primary.
Debate
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Democratic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn | ||||||
| Andrew Cuomo | Carl McCall | |||||
| 1 | Aug. 18, 2002 | WCBS-TV | Marcia Kramer | P | P |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Carl McCall | 539,883 | 85.28% | |
| Democratic | Andrew Cuomo (withdrew) | 93,195 | 14.72% | |
| Total votes | 633,088 | 100.00% |
Other nominations
Conservative and Independence
Besides his standard Republican nomination, Pataki sought the nominations of the Conservative Party and the Independence Party. Golisano, who sought (and ultimately won) the nomination of the Independence Party, also ran against the Governor in the Conservative primary as a write-in candidate. Pataki secured the Conservative line.
| Candidate | Conservative vote | percentage | Independence vote | percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Pataki | 18,185 | (86.86%) | 9,026 | (48.53%) |
| Tom Golisano | 2,751 | (13.14%) | 9,572 | (51.47%) |
Liberal
Andrew Cuomo was nominated by the Liberal Party before his withdrawal from the race, and his withdrawal came too late for his name to be removed from the Liberal Party line.
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report | Likely R | October 31, 2002 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Likely R | November 4, 2002 |
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | George Pataki (R) | Carl McCall (D) | Tom Golisano (I) | Gerald Cronin (RTL) | Other / Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA | October 28–30, 2002 | 567 (LV) | ± 4.3% | 47% | 32% | 17% | 2% | 1% |
Debate
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican | Democratic | Independence | Right to Life | Independent | Green | Libertarian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn | |||||||||||
| George Pataki | Carl McCall | Tom Golisano | Gerard Cronin | Thomas Leighton | Stanley Aronowitz | Scott Jeffrey | |||||
| 1 | Oct. 20, 2002 | WTVH-TV | Maureen Green Matt Mulcahy | P | P | P | A | P | P | P |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George Pataki | 2,085,407 | 45.54% | ||
| Conservative | George Pataki | 176,848 | 3.86% | ||
| Total | George Pataki (incumbent) | 2,262,255 | 49.40% | -4.91% | |
| Democratic | Carl McCall | 1,442,531 | 31.50% | ||
| Working Families | Carl McCall | 90,533 | 1.98% | ||
| Total | Carl McCall | 1,534,064 | 33.50% | +0.34% | |
| Independence | Tom Golisano | 654,016 | 14.28% | +6.59% | |
| Right to Life | Gerard Cronin | 44,195 | 0.97% | −0.28% | |
| Green | Stanley Aronowitz | 41,797 | 0.91% | −0.63% | |
| Marijuana Reform | Thomas K. Leighton | 21,977 | 0.48% | −0.18% | |
| Liberal | Andrew M. Cuomo (withdrawn) | 15,761 | 0.34% | −0.68% | |
| Libertarian | Scott Jeffrey | 5,013 | 0.11% | +0.01% | |
| Majority | 728,191 | 15.90% | −5.25% | ||
| Turnout | 4,579,078 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing |
New York City results
| 2002 gubernatorial election in New York City | Manhattan | The Bronx | Brooklyn | Queens | Staten Island | Total | |||
| Democratic | Carl McCall | 202,101 | 121,050 | 230,040 | 160,746 | 18,239 | 732,136 | 53.7% | |
| 55.78% | 61.08% | 56.12% | 45.18% | 20.5% | |||||
| Republican | George Pataki | 117,863 | 58,600 | 141,846 | 155,599 | 59,656 | 533,564 | 39.1% | |
| 32.53% | 29.57% | 34.6% | 43.74% | 67.06% |
Results by county
| County | Pataki% | Pataki# | McCall% | McCall# | Golisano% | Golisano# | Cronin% | Cronin# | Aronowitz% | Aronowitz# | Others% | Others# | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | 40.29% | 45,804 | 40.24% | 45,748 | 15.04% | 17,101 | 0.79% | 901 | 1.08% | 1,225 | 1.02% | 1,165 | 113,679 |
| Allegany | 59.02% | 8,134 | 14.82% | 2,042 | 19.47% | 2,683 | 1.42% | 196 | 0.70% | 96 | 0.88% | 121 | 13,782 |
| Bronx | 29.57% | 58,600 | 61.08% | 121,050 | 3.98% | 7,893 | 0.41% | 822 | 0.37% | 734 | 0.44% | 875 | 198,195 |
| Broome | 48.64% | 32,339 | 19.45% | 12,956 | 26.24% | 17,478 | 0.64% | 425 | 1.12% | 746 | 0.83% | 550 | 66,604 |
| Cattaraugus | 55.74% | 12,400 | 19.34% | 4,302 | 19.27% | 4,287 | 1.60% | 355 | 0.62% | 139 | 0.85% | 190 | 22,247 |
| Cayuga | 55.16% | 14,203 | 21.04% | 5,417 | 17.84% | 4,593 | 0.89% | 228 | 0.89% | 228 | 0.90% | 233 | 25,749 |
| Chautauqua | 59.41% | 22,869 | 21.62% | 8,323 | 14.93% | 5,747 | 0.89% | 341 | 0.44% | 170 | 0.94% | 360 | 38,493 |
| Chemung | 62.79% | 16,398 | 17.69% | 4,619 | 15.39% | 4,018 | 0.83% | 216 | 0.70% | 183 | 0.64% | 166 | 26,116 |
| Chenango | 59.50% | 8,676 | 17.34% | 2,529 | 17.81% | 2,597 | 0.79% | 115 | 1.54% | 225 | 0.94% | 137 | 14,582 |
| Clinton | 72.36% | 17,113 | 14.82% | 2,529 | 6.55% | 1,550 | 0.64% | 151 | 0.61% | 145 | 1.05% | 248 | 23,650 |
| Columbia | 52.06% | 11,995 | 28.01% | 6,454 | 13.42% | 3,091 | 0.69% | 160 | 1.97% | 454 | 1.50% | 346 | 23,040 |
| Cortland | 54.33% | 7,851 | 24.37% | 3,522 | 16.56% | 2,393 | 0.80% | 116 | 1.44% | 208 | 0.80% | 115 | 14,450 |
| Delaware | 58.99% | 9,139 | 18.58% | 2,878 | 14.98% | 2,320 | 0.86% | 134 | 1.42% | 220 | 1.43% | 221 | 15,492 |
| Dutchess | 57.26% | 44,289 | 24.05% | 18,606 | 13.80% | 10,671 | 1.31% | 1,015 | 0.94% | 729 | 0.92% | 715 | 77,348 |
| Erie | 43.18% | 130,377 | 28.27% | 85,360 | 22.75% | 68,702 | 1.59% | 4,791 | 0.61% | 1,831 | 0.96% | 2,905 | 301,929 |
| Essex | 71.84% | 10,550 | 12.22% | 1,794 | 8.06% | 1,183 | 0.70% | 103 | 0.74% | 108 | 1.15% | 169 | 14,686 |
| Franklin | 68.37% | 8,628 | 15.92% | 2,009 | 7.87% | 993 | 0.83% | 105 | 0.68% | 86 | 0.97% | 122 | 12,619 |
| Fulton | 56.09% | 9,012 | 19.01% | 3,055 | 20.54% | 3,301 | 0.91% | 146 | 0.38% | 61 | 1.00% | 160 | 16,067 |
| Genesee | 52.23% | 9,588 | 13.91% | 2,553 | 29.43% | 5,402 | 1.21% | 223 | 0.44% | 81 | 0.82% | 150 | 18,358 |
| Greene | 57.90% | 9,363 | 20.29% | 3,281 | 16.23% | 2,625 | 1.15% | 186 | 0.80% | 129 | 1.34% | 216 | 16,170 |
| Hamilton | 59.86% | 1,740 | 18.92% | 550 | 16.62% | 483 | 1.10% | 32 | 0.28% | 8 | 1.24% | 36 | 2,907 |
| Herkimer | 59.86% | 11,834 | 15.80% | 3,178 | 20.58% | 4,140 | 0.92% | 186 | 0.48% | 97 | 0.96% | 194 | 20,113 |
| Jefferson | 65.18% | 17,616 | 14.42% | 3,897 | 16.33% | 4,414 | 0.66% | 179 | 0.30% | 82 | 0.64% | 172 | 27,027 |
| Kings (Brooklyn) | 34.60% | 141,846 | 56.12% | 230,040 | 4.10% | 16,787 | 0.40% | 1,655 | 1.38% | 5,674 | 0.21% | 875 | 409,909 |
| Lewis | 62.30% | 5,823 | 14.66% | 1,370 | 16.71% | 1,562 | 0.92% | 86 | 0.29% | 27 | 0.88% | 82 | 9,347 |
| Livingston | 43.10% | 8,757 | 17.97% | 3,651 | 34.77% | 7,066 | 0.82% | 167 | 0.69% | 140 | 1.01% | 205 | 20,320 |
| Madison | 51.87% | 10,393 | 20.99% | 4,206 | 22.43% | 4,493 | 1.18% | 236 | 0.82% | 164 | 0.95% | 191 | 20,035 |
| Monroe | 34.27% | 81,110 | 24.65% | 58,334 | 37.17% | 87,967 | 0.77% | 1,820 | 0.81% | 1,929 | 0.86% | 2,039 | 236,691 |
| Montgomery | 52.64% | 9,285 | 18.97% | 3,346 | 20.26% | 3,573 | 0.87% | 153 | 0.37% | 65 | 1.04% | 183 | 17,640 |
| Nassau | 60.56% | 232,785 | 25.98% | 99,865 | 9.33% | 35,860 | 1.45% | 5,574 | 0.37% | 1,572 | 0.74% | 2,855 | 384,408 |
| New York (Manhattan) | 32.53% | 117,863 | 55.78% | 202,101 | 5.45% | 19,743 | 0.25% | 916 | 2.05% | 7,415 | 1.40% | 5,054 | 362,277 |
| Niagara | 47.65% | 32,005 | 19.30% | 12,966 | 27.21% | 18,278 | 1.36% | 916 | 0.31% | 210 | 0.96% | 648 | 67,165 |
| Oneida | 56.14% | 40,186 | 19.17% | 13,719 | 19.94% | 14,274 | 1.31% | 940 | 0.35% | 251 | 0.93% | 668 | 71,580 |
| Onondaga | 50.47% | 74,694 | 26.43% | 39,110 | 18.56% | 27,459 | 0.92% | 1,366 | 0.84% | 1,239 | 0.97% | 1,437 | 147,986 |
| Ontario | 45.38% | 15,480 | 16.16% | 5,512 | 33.65% | 11,478 | 0.72% | 247 | 0.87% | 297 | 1.01% | 343 | 34,111 |
| Orange | 61.22% | 53,950 | 20.27% | 17,866 | 13.52% | 11,914 | 1.42% | 1,251 | 0.79% | 695 | 0.81% | 715 | 88,121 |
| Orleans | 48.15% | 5,426 | 13.92% | 1,568 | 34.34% | 3,869 | 0.88% | 99 | 0.41% | 46 | 0.75% | 84 | 11,268 |
| Oswego | 52.97% | 17,393 | 20.79% | 6,826 | 21.66% | 7,111 | 0.86% | 284 | 0.45% | 147 | 0.99% | 325 | 32,836 |
| Otsego | 54.40% | 9,846 | 22.70% | 4,109 | 15.60% | 2,824 | 0.97% | 175 | 1.95% | 353 | 1.75% | 316 | 18,099 |
| Putnam | 69.50% | 19,998 | 14.79% | 4,284 | 11.11% | 3,217 | 1.24% | 359 | 0.83% | 240 | 1.09% | 317 | 28,961 |
| Queens | 43.74% | 155,599 | 45.18% | 160,746 | 6.06% | 21,556 | 0.90% | 3,219 | 0.68% | 2,402 | 0.62% | 2,196 | 355,756 |
| Rensselaer | 48.91% | 27,120 | 27.94% | 15,491 | 17.87% | 9,908 | 1.08% | 601 | 0.92% | 512 | 1.14% | 631 | 55,447 |
| Richmond (Staten Island) | 67.06% | 59,656 | 20.50% | 18,239 | 8.52% | 7,583 | 0.81% | 722 | 0.46% | 409 | 0.66% | 586 | 88,958 |
| Rockland | 61.26% | 53,025 | 25.48% | 22,054 | 8.73% | 7,557 | 0.75% | 649 | 0.68% | 589 | 0.87% | 750 | 86,551 |
| St. Lawrence | 62.64% | 19,365 | 19.89% | 6,234 | 11.55% | 3,621 | 0.53% | 166 | 0.46% | 145 | 0.95% | 297 | 31,348 |
| Saratoga | 54.21% | 38,797 | 23.59% | 16,881 | 17.39% | 12,448 | 0.92% | 659 | 1.03% | 735 | 1.13% | 811 | 71,567 |
| Schenectady | 46.96% | 24,201 | 27.90% | 14,378 | 19.63% | 10,116 | 1.06% | 546 | 0.80% | 410 | 1.02% | 527 | 51,537 |
| Schoharie | 53.11% | 5,731 | 21.28% | 2,296 | 19.84% | 2,141 | 1.12% | 121 | 1.01% | 109 | 1.38% | 149 | 10,791 |
| Schuyler | 58.93% | 3,535 | 17.39% | 1,043 | 16.49% | 989 | 0.95% | 57 | 2.02% | 121 | 0.95% | 57 | 5,999 |
| Seneca | 55.65% | 5,969 | 18.52% | 1,986 | 21.16% | 2,270 | 0.74% | 79 | 0.76% | 81 | 1.22% | 131 | 10,726 |
| Steuben | 62.26% | 17,523 | 12.15% | 3,419 | 20.33% | 5,721 | 1.03% | 290 | 0.82% | 232 | 0.81% | 229 | 28,147 |
| Suffolk | 57.79% | 209,361 | 22.85% | 82,776 | 14.16% | 51,288 | 1.54% | 5,589 | 0.55% | 1,978 | 0.89% | 3,216 | 362,280 |
| Sullivan | 54.89% | 11,279 | 24.09% | 4,949 | 15.25% | 3,133 | 1.10% | 226 | 0.83% | 170 | 1.17% | 240 | 20,548 |
| Tioga | 59.54% | 9,561 | 14.92% | 2,396 | 21.54% | 3,459 | 0.82% | 131 | 1.07% | 172 | 0.78% | 125 | 16,059 |
| Tompkins | 39.00% | 10,995 | 38.62% | 10,887 | 11.84% | 3,338 | 0.53% | 150 | 5.03% | 1,418 | 2.13% | 601 | 28,192 |
| Ulster | 50.88% | 29,801 | 26.58% | 15,567 | 15.72% | 9,205 | 0.87% | 511 | 2.25% | 1,318 | 1.79% | 1,046 | 58,572 |
| Warren | 56.75% | 11,964 | 22.91% | 4,831 | 15.09% | 3,182 | 0.89% | 188 | 0.68% | 143 | 1.08% | 227 | 21,083 |
| Washington | 55.23% | 9,491 | 21.92% | 3,767 | 17.53% | 3,012 | 0.93% | 160 | 0.88% | 152 | 1.26% | 217 | 17,183 |
| Wayne | 45.00% | 12,553 | 14.95% | 4,171 | 36.45% | 10,169 | 0.89% | 248 | 0.54% | 152 | 0.87% | 242 | 27,898 |
| Westchester | 54.37% | 140,329 | 31.81% | 82,099 | 8.95% | 23,113 | 0.85% | 2,200 | 0.77% | 1,982 | 1.05% | 2,715 | 258,104 |
| Wyoming | 53.57% | 6,931 | 15.72% | 2,034 | 25.50% | 3,299 | 1.84% | 238 | 0.32% | 41 | 0.87% | 112 | 12,938 |
| Yates | 52.26% | 3,781 | 18.23% | 1,319 | 24.44% | 1,768 | 1.04% | 75 | 1.06% | 77 | 1.16% | 84 | 7,235 |
| Totals | 49.40% | 2,262,255 | 33.50% | 1,534,064 | 14.28% | 654,016 | 0.97% | 44,195 | 0.91% | 41,797 | 0.93% | 42,751 | 4,579,078 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Independence
See also
Notes
External links
Official campaign websites (archived)