2002 New York gubernatorial election

Last updated

2002 New York gubernatorial election
Flag of New York (1909-2020).svg
←  1998 November 5, 2002 2006  →
  George Pataki 2004 (cropped).jpg 3x4.svg Tom Golisano (1).JPG
Nominee George Pataki H. Carl McCall Tom Golisano
Party Republican Democratic Independence
Alliance Conservative Working Families
Running mate Mary Donohue Dennis MehielMary Donohue [a]
Popular vote2,262,2551,534,064654,016
Percentage49.40%33.50%14.28%
2002 New York gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
Pataki:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
McCall:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%
Golisano:     30–40%
Governor before election

George Pataki
Republican

Elected Governor

George Pataki
Republican

The 2002 New York gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002. Republican Governor George Pataki was re-elected to a third term. [1] As of 2025, this election was the last statewide election won by a Republican in New York. [2]

Contents

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

Declined

Results

Pataki won the nomination unopposed. [3]

Democratic primary

Candidates

Withdrew

Campaign

Comptroller Carl McCall defeated Andrew Cuomo at the Democratic State Convention, [4] and Cuomo withdrew from the race less than a week before the Democratic primary. [5]

Debate

2002 New York gubernatorial election democratic primary debate
No.DateHostModeratorLink Democratic Democratic
Key:
 P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited  W  Withdrawn
Andrew Cuomo Carl McCall
1Aug. 18, 2002 WCBS-TV Marcia Kramer C-SPAN PP

Results

Results by county: McCall 70-80% 80-90% 90-100% 2002 New York Democratic gubernatorial primary election results map by county (vote share).svg
Results by county:
  McCall
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  •   90–100%
2002 New York Democratic gubernatorial primary
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Carl McCall 539,883 85.28%
Democratic Andrew Cuomo (withdrew)93,19514.72%
Total votes633,088 100.00%

Other nominations

Conservative and Independence

Independence primary results by county: Pataki 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% 90-100% Golisano 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% 90-100% Tie 50% 2002 New York Independence gubernatorial primary election results map by county (vote share).svg
Independence primary results by county:
  Pataki
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  •   90–100%
  Golisano
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  •   90–100%
  Tie
  •   50%
Conservative primary results by county: Pataki 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% 90-100% Golisano 50-60% 2002 New York Conservative gubernatorial primary election results map by county (vote share).svg
Conservative primary results by county:
  Pataki
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  •   90–100%
  Golisano
  •   50–60%

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, [3] also ran against the Governor in the Conservative primary as a write-in candidate. Pataki secured the Conservative line. [6]

Candidate Conservative votepercentage Independence votepercentage
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. [7]

General election

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report [8] Likely ROctober 31, 2002
Sabato's Crystal Ball [9] Likely RNovember 4, 2002

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		George Pataki
(R)		Carl
McCall (D)		Tom
Golisano (I)		Gerald
Cronin (RTL)		Other /
Undecided
SurveyUSA [10] October 28–30, 2002567 (LV)± 4.3%47%32%17%2%1%

Debate

2002 New York gubernatorial debate
No.DateHostModeratorLink Republican Democratic Independence Working Families Independent Green Libertarian
Key:
 P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited  W  Withdrawn
George Pataki Carl McCall Tom Golisano Gerard Cronin Stanley Aronowitz Thomas LeightonScott Jeffrey
1Oct. 20, 2002 WTVH-TV Maureen Green
Matt Mulcahy		 C-SPAN PPPAPPP

Results

New York gubernatorial election, 2002 [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican George Pataki2,085,40745.54%
Conservative George Pataki176,8483.86%
Total George Pataki (incumbent) 2,262,255 49.40% -4.91%
Democratic Carl McCall1,442,53131.50%
Working Families Carl McCall90,5331.98%
Total Carl McCall 1,534,06433.50%+0.34%
Independence Tom Golisano 654,01614.28%+6.59%
Right to Life Gerard Cronin44,1950.97%−0.28%
Green Stanley Aronowitz 41,7970.91%−0.63%
Marijuana ReformThomas K. Leighton21,9770.48%−0.18%
Liberal Andrew M. Cuomo (withdrawn)15,7610.34%−0.68%
Libertarian Scott Jeffrey5,0130.11%+0.01%
Majority 728,19115.90%−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 202,101121,050230,040160,74618,239732,13653.7%
55.78%61.08%56.12%45.18%20.5%
Republican George Pataki 117,86358,600141,846155,59959,656533,56439.1%
32.53%29.57%34.6%43.74%67.06%

Results by county

CountyPataki%Pataki#McCall%McCall#Golisano%Golisano#Cronin%Cronin#Aronowitz%Aronowitz#Others%Others#Total
Albany 40.29%45,80440.24%45,74815.04%17,1010.79%9011.08%1,2251.02%1,165113,679
Allegany 59.02%8,13414.82%2,04219.47%2,6831.42%1960.70%960.88%12113,782
Bronx 29.57%58,60061.08%121,0503.98%7,8930.41%8220.37%7340.44%875198,195
Broome 48.64%32,33919.45%12,95626.24%17,4780.64%4251.12%7460.83%55066,604
Cattaraugus 55.74%12,40019.34%4,30219.27%4,2871.60%3550.62%1390.85%19022,247
Cayuga 55.16%14,20321.04%5,41717.84%4,5930.89%2280.89%2280.90%23325,749
Chautauqua 59.41%22,86921.62%8,32314.93%5,7470.89%3410.44%1700.94%36038,493
Chemung 62.79%16,39817.69%4,61915.39%4,0180.83%2160.70%1830.64%16626,116
Chenango 59.50%8,67617.34%2,52917.81%2,5970.79%1151.54%2250.94%13714,582
Clinton 72.36%17,11314.82%2,5296.55%1,5500.64%1510.61%1451.05%24823,650
Columbia 52.06%11,99528.01%6,45413.42%3,0910.69%1601.97%4541.50%34623,040
Cortland 54.33%7,85124.37%3,52216.56%2,3930.80%1161.44%2080.80%11514,450
Delaware 58.99%9,13918.58%2,87814.98%2,3200.86%1341.42%2201.43%22115,492
Dutchess 57.26%44,28924.05%18,60613.80%10,6711.31%1,0150.94%7290.92%71577,348
Erie 43.18%130,37728.27%85,36022.75%68,7021.59%4,7910.61%1,8310.96%2,905301,929
Essex 71.84%10,55012.22%1,7948.06%1,1830.70%1030.74%1081.15%16914,686
Franklin 68.37%8,62815.92%2,0097.87%9930.83%1050.68%860.97%12212,619
Fulton 56.09%9,01219.01%3,05520.54%3,3010.91%1460.38%611.00%16016,067
Genesee 52.23%9,58813.91%2,55329.43%5,4021.21%2230.44%810.82%15018,358
Greene 57.90%9,36320.29%3,28116.23%2,6251.15%1860.80%1291.34%21616,170
Hamilton 59.86%1,74018.92%55016.62%4831.10%320.28%81.24%362,907
Herkimer 59.86%11,83415.80%3,17820.58%4,1400.92%1860.48%970.96%19420,113
Jefferson 65.18%17,61614.42%3,89716.33%4,4140.66%1790.30%820.64%17227,027
Kings (Brooklyn) 34.60%141,84656.12%230,0404.10%16,7870.40%1,6551.38%5,6740.21%875409,909
Lewis 62.30%5,82314.66%1,37016.71%1,5620.92%860.29%270.88%829,347
Livingston 43.10%8,75717.97%3,65134.77%7,0660.82%1670.69%1401.01%20520,320
Madison 51.87%10,39320.99%4,20622.43%4,4931.18%2360.82%1640.95%19120,035
Monroe 34.27%81,11024.65%58,33437.17%87,9670.77%1,8200.81%1,9290.86%2,039236,691
Montgomery 52.64%9,28518.97%3,34620.26%3,5730.87%1530.37%651.04%18317,640
Nassau 60.56%232,78525.98%99,8659.33%35,8601.45%5,5740.37%1,5720.74%2,855384,408
New York (Manhattan) 32.53%117,86355.78%202,1015.45%19,7430.25%9162.05%7,4151.40%5,054362,277
Niagara 47.65%32,00519.30%12,96627.21%18,2781.36%9160.31%2100.96%64867,165
Oneida 56.14%40,18619.17%13,71919.94%14,2741.31%9400.35%2510.93%66871,580
Onondaga 50.47%74,69426.43%39,11018.56%27,4590.92%1,3660.84%1,2390.97%1,437147,986
Ontario 45.38%15,48016.16%5,51233.65%11,4780.72%2470.87%2971.01%34334,111
Orange 61.22%53,95020.27%17,86613.52%11,9141.42%1,2510.79%6950.81%71588,121
Orleans 48.15%5,42613.92%1,56834.34%3,8690.88%990.41%460.75%8411,268
Oswego 52.97%17,39320.79%6,82621.66%7,1110.86%2840.45%1470.99%32532,836
Otsego 54.40%9,84622.70%4,10915.60%2,8240.97%1751.95%3531.75%31618,099
Putnam 69.50%19,99814.79%4,28411.11%3,2171.24%3590.83%2401.09%31728,961
Queens 43.74%155,59945.18%160,7466.06%21,5560.90%3,2190.68%2,4020.62%2,196355,756
Rensselaer 48.91%27,12027.94%15,49117.87%9,9081.08%6010.92%5121.14%63155,447
Richmond (Staten Island) 67.06%59,65620.50%18,2398.52%7,5830.81%7220.46%4090.66%58688,958
Rockland 61.26%53,02525.48%22,0548.73%7,5570.75%6490.68%5890.87%75086,551
St. Lawrence 62.64%19,36519.89%6,23411.55%3,6210.53%1660.46%1450.95%29731,348
Saratoga 54.21%38,79723.59%16,88117.39%12,4480.92%6591.03%7351.13%81171,567
Schenectady 46.96%24,20127.90%14,37819.63%10,1161.06%5460.80%4101.02%52751,537
Schoharie 53.11%5,73121.28%2,29619.84%2,1411.12%1211.01%1091.38%14910,791
Schuyler 58.93%3,53517.39%1,04316.49%9890.95%572.02%1210.95%575,999
Seneca 55.65%5,96918.52%1,98621.16%2,2700.74%790.76%811.22%13110,726
Steuben 62.26%17,52312.15%3,41920.33%5,7211.03%2900.82%2320.81%22928,147
Suffolk 57.79%209,36122.85%82,77614.16%51,2881.54%5,5890.55%1,9780.89%3,216362,280
Sullivan 54.89%11,27924.09%4,94915.25%3,1331.10%2260.83%1701.17%24020,548
Tioga 59.54%9,56114.92%2,39621.54%3,4590.82%1311.07%1720.78%12516,059
Tompkins 39.00%10,99538.62%10,88711.84%3,3380.53%1505.03%1,4182.13%60128,192
Ulster 50.88%29,80126.58%15,56715.72%9,2050.87%5112.25%1,3181.79%1,04658,572
Warren 56.75%11,96422.91%4,83115.09%3,1820.89%1880.68%1431.08%22721,083
Washington 55.23%9,49121.92%3,76717.53%3,0120.93%1600.88%1521.26%21717,183
Wayne 45.00%12,55314.95%4,17136.45%10,1690.89%2480.54%1520.87%24227,898
Westchester 54.37%140,32931.81%82,0998.95%23,1130.85%2,2000.77%1,9821.05%2,715258,104
Wyoming 53.57%6,93115.72%2,03425.50%3,2991.84%2380.32%410.87%11212,938
Yates 52.26%3,78118.23%1,31924.44%1,7681.04%751.06%771.16%847,235
Totals49.40%2,262,25533.50%1,534,06414.28%654,0160.97%44,1950.91%41,7970.93%42,7514,579,078

Counties that flipped from Republican to Independence

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Jointly nominated by the GOP and Independence parties
  2. ↑ Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear

References

  1. ↑ "Pataki wins third term in New York - Nov. 5, 2002". edition.cnn.com.
  2. ↑ Lewis, Rebecca (November 13, 2024). "'No one is safe.' NY Dems fret over 2026 governor's race". City & State NY.
  3. 1 2 "Golisano Beats Pataki in Independence Primary". Buffalo Toronto Public Media. September 11, 2002.
  4. ↑ "McCall gets Democratic Party's nod". Times Herald-Record. May 24, 2002.
  5. ↑ Dewan, Shaila (September 4, 2002). "THE 2002 CAMPAIGN: THE ANNOUNCEMENT; CUOMO QUITS RACE AND BACKS MCCALL FOR GOVERNORSHIP" – via NYTimes.com.
  6. ↑ "2002 Sep 10 • Conservative Primary • Governor • State of New York". New York State Board of Elections - Elections Database.
  7. ↑ Archibold, Randal (September 24, 2002). "Cuomo Will Remain on Ballot As Liberal Party Candidate" – via NYTimes.com.
  8. ↑ "Governor Updated October 31, 2002 | The Cook Political Report". The Cook Political Report. October 31, 2002. Archived from the original on December 8, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Governors Races". www.centerforpolitics.org. November 4, 2002. Archived from the original on December 12, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  10. ↑ "SurveyUSA - Current Election Polls". www.surveyusa.com.
  11. ↑ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). www.elections.ny.gov.
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