New York Primary Elections: How To Vote, What's At Stake

NEW YORK — A second-generation governor against a former TV star. His lieutenant, a former congresswoman, against an activist city councilman. And four accomplished lawyers vying to replace a disgraced attorney general.

These contests for three of New York State's top offices will lead the ticket when Democratic voters go to the polls for the Sept. 13 primary elections. New York City voters will also pick their party's nominees for some seats in the state Legislature.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Lt. Gov. Kathy Hocul are fending off left-wing challenges from the activist and actress Cynthia Nixon, probably best known for her role on "Sex and the City," and Brooklyn Councilman Jumaane Williams.

But the race for attorney general, the state's top law-enforcement office, is wide open. Verizon lobbyist Leecia Eve, city Public Advocate Letitia James, U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney and law professor Zephyr Teachout are all fighting for the job once held by Eric Schneiderman, who resigned in May amid allegations that he abused four women.

The winner will go on to face the Republican candidate for each office in the Nov. 6 general election. Marc Molinaro, the Dutchess County executive, leads the GOP ticket with Julie Killian running for lieutenant governor and Keith Wofford for attorney general.

But active Democrats outnumber active Republicans more than two to one across the state, so the primaries could decide the races' ultimate winners.

Here's a look at what's at stake in each contest, plus information on how to cast your ballot in New York City.

Governor

Andrew Cuomo is seeking a third term leading the Empire State government as he continues to raise his national profile. He's stood by his record as a progressive who gets things done, touting accomplishments such as New York's legalization of same-sex marriage, progress toward a $15-an-hour minimum wage and the SAFE Act, one of the nation's strictest gun-control laws.

He's also made big investments in infrastructure. On Friday he marked the opening of the second span of the new Tappan Zee Bridge, which has been renamed for his father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo.

But none of that has stopped Cynthia Nixon from trying to capitalize on the anger of his many critics. She's lambasted his neglect of the New York City subways, corruption in his administration (two of his onetime associates were convicted in separate corruption cases this year), and his friendliness to corporate interests.

Nixon, making her first run for public office, has put forward several left-wing policy proposals that distinguish her from the governor, such as a "polluter fee" to fund the subways and allowing public employees to go on strike.

Much of the political establishment has lined up behind Cuomo, who has also won several newspaper endorsements. He's also had a big lead in the polls, with a July 31 Siena College poll showing him more than 30 points ahead of Nixon.

But Nixon has support from some elected officials and left-wing groups such as the New York City Democratic Socialists of America. Her campaign argues that polls aren't capturing the anti-incumbent wave that has shown up across the country.

Lieutenant Governor

Kathy Hochul is seeking a second term as Cuomo's second-in-command. The former U.S. representative has largely hitched her wagon to the governor's, arguing that she'll keep up efforts to take on Republican President Donald Trump.

But Hochul is facing a much more competitive challenge from Jumaane Williams, a third-term councilman who has joined forces with Nixon. He wants to use the lieutenant governor's position to advocate for progressive issues and reportedly criticize the governor when necessary.

While Hochul has the Democratic establishment firmly behind her, Williams only trailed her by nine points in the July Siena poll. An endorsement from The New York Times on Thursday also gave him some momentum going into the election.

Primaries for lieutenant governor are unusual because the winner runs with the gubernatorial nominee as a team in the general election. That means Williams and Cuomo — or, theoretically, Hochul and Nixon — could end up as running mates even though they're on opposite sides of the primary fight.

Attorney General

Cuomo talks often about fighting Trump, but Eric Schneiderman took that fight to the courts before he resigned in disgrace. His immediate successor, Barbara Underwood, has continued the state's legal combat on issues ranging from immigration to environmental policies.

The four Democratic candidates for Underwood's job also want to continue that fight, but each brings a different background to the table.

Letitia James, backed by Cuomo and the state Democratic Party, is in her second term as public advocate, a job to which she ascended after serving on the City Council. Earlier in her career she was a Legal Aid lawyer and led the attorney general's Brooklyn regional office.

Leecia Eve, a Buffalo native, is currently the vice president of government affairs for Verizon. But she has also worked in the Cuomo administration and for Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton when they were senators.

Sean Patrick Maloney is a congressman representing part of the Hudson Valley, an office he's running simultaneously to keep this year. He's the first openly gay U.S. representative from New York and previously worked for former governors Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson.

Zephyr Teachout, who's backed by Nixon, is a professor at Fordham Law School who specializes in political corruption. She also ran a left-wing primary challenge to Cuomo in 2014 and made an unsuccessful bid for Congress in 2016.

James emerged as an early frontrunner as she secured party backing. She led the Siena poll with support from 25 percent of likely voters, though 42 percent were undecided.

But Teachout may have the advantage going into the primary. The other candidates have reportedly been targeting her in debates, which could indicate she's the one to beat. And she recently picked up The New York Times' endorsement, which could distinguish her in the crowded field.

How To Vote

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 13. Only voters registered with a political party can cast ballots in that party's primaries.

You can locate your polling place here.

(Lead image: Andrew Cuomo and Cynthia Nixon shake hands at their only televised debate on Aug. 29. Photo by Craig Ruttle-Pool/Getty Images)