2002 New York gubernatorial election

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2002 New York gubernatorial election
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←  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 [lower-alpha 1]
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, defeating Democrat Carl McCall and Rochester billionaire Tom Golisano, who ran on the Independence Party line. As of 2024, this was the last time a Republican won a statewide election in New York, and the last time Albany, Tompkins and Westchester counties have voted Republican in a statewide election.

Contents

On Election Day, Pataki was easily re-elected, but fell short of receiving 50% of the vote. McCall received 33% of the vote, carrying New York City (other than Staten Island) and nearly carrying Albany County. In contrast to the norm for multiple third party campaigns, Golisano did better than his previous elections, receiving 14% of the vote and carrying his home county of Monroe in western New York. This election was the first New York gubernatorial election since 1978 in which the winner of the gubernatorial election was of the same party as the incumbent president.

Republican primary

Candidates

Declined

Polling

SourceDateGeorge PatakiRudolph Giuliani
QuinnipiacDecember 14, 200060%29%

Results

Pataki won the nomination unopposed.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Withdrew

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.

Polling

SourceDateCarl McCallAndrew Cuomo
QuinnipiacDecember 14, 200033%39%
QuinnipiacFebruary 14, 200135%36%
QuinnipiacMarch 28, 200133%40%
QuinnipiacApril 24, 200133%39%
QuinnipiacJune 26, 200131%44%
QuinnipiacOctober 2, 200129%41%
QuinnipiacNovember 14, 200129%37%
QuinnipiacJanuary 23, 200238%38%
QuinnipiacFebruary 27, 200235%40%
QuinnipiacApril 18, 200230%44%
QuinnipiacMay 1, 200233%43%
QuinnipiacJuly 2, 200232%47%
QuinnipiacAugust 15, 200247%31%
QuinnipiacSeptember 3, 200253%31%

Lieutenant governor

SourceDateDennis MehielCharlie King
QuinnipiacSeptember 3, 200224%17%

Results

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

Besides his standard Republican nomination, Governor Pataki sought the nominations of the Conservative 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, spending over $20 million (or over $2,000 per vote) during the primaries. Pataki secured the Republican and Conservative lines, while Golisano successfully defended his hold on the Independence Party ticket. [1]

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. Since Liberal Party supporters could not support McCall on their own party's line (and thus ensure that the Liberal Party would maintain ballot access by virtue of having 50,000 votes or more), Cuomo's defeat effectively helped to destroy the Liberal Party.[ citation needed ]

General election

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report [2] Likely ROctober 31, 2002
Sabato's Crystal Ball [3] Likely RNovember 4, 2002

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [lower-alpha 2] 		Margin
of error		George Pataki
(R)		Carl
McCall (D)		Tom
Golisano (I)		Gerald
Cronin (RTL)		Other /
Undecided
SurveyUSA October 28–30, 2002567 (LV)± 4.3%47%32%17%2%1%
SourceDateH. Carl McCall (D)George Pataki (R)Thomas Golisano (I)
QuinnipiacDecember 14, 200036%48%-
QuinnipiacFebruary 14, 200136%43%-
QuinnipiacMarch 28, 200135%48%-
QuinnipiacApril 24, 200136%43%-
QuinnipiacJune 26, 200135%46%-
QuinnipiacOctober 2, 200126%59%-
QuinnipiacNovember 14, 200124%56%-
QuinnipiacJanuary 23, 200227%57%-
QuinnipiacFebruary 27, 200229%57%-
QuinnipiacApril 18, 200229%56%-
QuinnipiacMay 1, 200227%58%-
QuinnipiacJuly 2, 200226%53%7%
MaristSeptember 9, 200232%48%11%
QuinnipiacSeptember 25, 200235%46%14%
MaristOctober 1, 200232%48%9%
QuinnipiacOctober 16, 200231%47%18%
The New York TimesOctober 17, 200231%42%17%
MaristOctober 30, 200227%47%17%
MaristNovember 4, 200227%47%19%
QuinnipiacNovember 4, 200229%45%14%
Hypothetical polling
SourceDateAndrew Cuomo (D)George Pataki (R)Thomas Golisano (I)
QuinnipiacDecember 14, 200037%48%-
QuinnipiacFebruary 14, 200137%46%-
QuinnipiacMarch 28, 200136%48%-
QuinnipiacApril 24, 200136%46%-
QuinnipiacJune 26, 200139%47%-
QuinnipiacOctober 2, 200125%60%-
QuinnipiacNovember 14, 200125%57%-
QuinnipiacJanuary 23, 200228%59%-
QuinnipiacFebruary 27, 200228%59%-
QuinnipiacApril 18, 200230%54%-
QuinnipiacMay 1, 200226%59%-
QuinnipiacJuly 2, 200226%54%6%
SourceDateAndrew Cuomo (D)Rudolph Giuliani (R)
QuinnipiacDecember 14, 200039%47%
SourceDateH. Carl McCall (D)Rudolph Giuliani (R)
QuinnipiacDecember 14, 200039%45%

Results

New York gubernatorial election, 2002 [4]
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 15,7610.34%-0.68%
Libertarian Scott Jeffrey5,0130.11%+0.01%
Majority728,19115.90%-5.25%
Turnout 4,579,078
Republican hold Swing

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

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References

  1. ↑ www.elections.state.ny.us 2002 Primary Canvas.
  2. ↑ "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.
  3. ↑ "Governors Races". www.centerforpolitics.org. November 4, 2002. Archived from the original on December 12, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  4. ↑ "NYS Board of Elections Governor Election Returns Nov. 5, 2002" (PDF).
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