NEW YORK STATE
Governor/Lieutenant Governor (4-Year Term)
Andrew Cuomo/Kathy Hochul (D, WF, I, WEP)
Marc Molinaro/Julie Killian (R, C, REF)
Howie Hawkins/Jia Lee (G)
Stephanie Miner/Michael Volpe (SAM)
Larry Sharpe/Andrew Hollister (LIB)
Fast Facts: Andrew Cuomo was first elected to the Governor’s Mansion in 2010 after serving as the state’s Attorney General. He’s up against Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro and a slew of third party candidates. Cuomo and Molinaro only debated once during the campaign, which was a downstate-focused affair taped at the WCBS studios in New York City and rebroadcast on affiliate stations statewide.
Attorney General (4-Year Term)
Letitia James (D, WF, I)
Keith Wofford (R, C)
Michael Sussman (G)
Nancy Silwa (REF)
Christopher Garvey (LIB)
Fast Facts: This race was upended before it even started after former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman resigned in May in the face of domestic abuse allegations. Current AG Barbara Underwood was selected by the Legislature to fill the remainder of his term, and she declined to run for the seat in the upcoming elections. A four-way September primary named NYC Public Advocate Letitia James as the Democratic nominee. She’s going up against Keith Wofford, a Manhattan attorney with Upstate roots.
Comptroller (4-Year Term)
Thomas DiNapoli (D, WF, I, WEP, REF)
Jonathan Trichter (R, C)
Mark Dunlea (G)
Cruger Galludet (LIB)
Fast Facts: Nassau County native Tom DiNapoli was elevated to the Comptroller’s office from the Assembly in 2007, following the resignation of his predecessor in an ethics scandal. He’s seeking his third full term this November, running against Republican Jonathan Trichter, an investment banker from NYC.
U.S. SENATE
Senator (6-Year Term)
Kirsten Gillibrand (D, WF, I, WEP)
Chele Farley (R, C, REF)
Fast Facts: Appointed by Governor Paterson to fill Hillary Clinton’s seat in 2009, Kirsten Gillibrand has established herself as a staunch progressive in Washington. Fighting to unseat her is Chele Farley, a partner at a Manhattan investment firm and the NYC finance chair for the state GOP.
U.S. HOUSE
District 23 (Includes all of Tompkins County)
Tracy Mitrano (D, WF, WEP)
Thomas W. Reed II (R, C, I), Incumbent
Fast Facts: Former Cornell IT policy director Tracy Mitrano narrowly emerged victorious from a crowded Democratic primary field back in September. She won the nomination to take on Tom Reed, the incumbent Republican who’s served in the House since 2010.
STATE SENATE
District 51 (Includes the Towns of Caroline, Danby, Dryden, and Groton)
2-Year Term
James Seward (R, C, I, REF), Incumbent
Joyce St. George (D, WEP)
District 54 (Includes the Town of Lansing)
2-Year Term
Pamela Helming (R, C, I, REF), Incumbent
Kenan Baldridge (D, WF, WEP)
District 58 (Includes the City of Ithaca plus the Towns of Enfield, Ithaca, Newfield, and Ulysees)
2-Year Term
Thomas O’Mara (R, C, I, REF), Incumbent
Amanda Kirchgessner (D, WF)
Fast Facts: Tom O’Mara has represented New York’s Southern Tier in the State Senate since 2011. His Democratic challenger, Amanda Kirchgessner, is a waitress from the Town of Ulysses. She was a member of the Tompkins County Democratic Committee up until a few weeks ago, when she resigned in the aftermath of an Ithaca.com report that she domestically abused her ex-wife. She now describes herself as a “progressive Republican.”
READ MORE: Elections 2018: O’Mara vs. Kirchgessner for NY Senate 58th District
STATE ASSEMBLY
District 125 (Includes all of Tompkins County, plus parts of Cortland County)
2-Year Term
Barbara Lifton (D), Incumbent
STATE SUPREME COURT
Sixth Judicial District (Includes all of Tompkins County)
14-Year Term
Elizabeth Burns (D)
Joe McBride (R)
Fast Facts: The Sixth Judicial District of the State Supreme Court covers a large area of the Southern Tier, including Binghamton, Ithaca, and Cortland. Justices serve 14 year terms, and many times are cross endorsed by the major parties. This year however, we have Cortland City Court Judge Elizabeth Burns running on the Democratic line against Chenango County District Attorney Joe McBride
TOMPKINS COUNTY
County Clerk (4-Year Term)
Maureen Reynolds (D, R), Incumbent
County Sheriff (4-Year Term)
Ken Lansing (I), Incumbent
Derek Osborne (D)
Josh Brokaw (TRU)
Fast Facts: Ken Lansing won his first election as Sheriff on the Independence Party line in 2010, and will attempt to do so again this year as he seeks a third term. He lost the Democratic primary to his former undersheriff, Derek Osborne. Independent candidate and journalist Josh Brokaw is running on his self-created Truthsayers line.
TOWN OF CAROLINE
Council member (1-Year Term to fill Vacancy)
Timothy Murray (D)
TOWN OF DANBY
Town Proposition Number One
Shall there be approved and adopted in the Town of Danby, a Local Law entitled “Changing from an Elected Town Highway Superintendent to an Appointed Town Highway Superintendent” as approved by the Town Board of the Town of Danby, to change the Town Highway Superintendent from an elected position to a position appointed by the Town, effective January 1, 2020?
Yes
No
Fast Facts: This is the second time this decade that Danby voters will be asked to change the role of highway superintendent. The first attempt in 2010 failed by only four votes.
READ MORE: Danby Voters to Decide Fate of Elected Highway Superintendent
TOWN OF DRYDEN
Council member (1-Year Term to fill Vacancy)
Alice Green (D, PD)
Town Justice (4-Year Term)
Jules Ravo (D, PD)
TOWN OF GROTON
Town Justice (4-Year Term)
John Norman (R)
CITY OF ITHACA
City Court Judge (10-year Term)
Scott Miller (D)
TOWN OF LANSING
Town Justice (4-Year Term)
Maura Kennedy-Smith (D, LL)
Dick Costello (R, I)
TOWN OF NEWFIELD
Town Justice (4-Year Term)
William Chernish (R)
POLITICAL PARTY KEY
D- Democratic
R- Republican
C- Conservative
I- Independence
G- Green
WF- Working Families
WEP- Women’s Equality Party
REF- Reform
LIB- Libertarian
SAM- Serve America Movement
TRU- Truthsayers
PD- Protecting Dryden
LL- Lansing Lighthouse
Featured Image via Wikimedia Commons/Creative Commons
