2002 New York gubernatorial election
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![]() County results Pataki: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% McCall: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Golisano: 30–40% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Elections in New York State |
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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.[1] As of 2024, this election was the last statewide election won by a Republican in New York.[2]
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.
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- George Pataki, Governor of New York since 1995
Declined
[edit]- Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City (1994–2001)
Results
[edit]Pataki won the nomination unopposed.[3]
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- H. Carl McCall, New York State Comptroller
Withdrew
[edit]- Andrew Cuomo, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and son of Mario Cuomo
Campaign
[edit]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
[edit]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Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |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 | C-SPAN | P | P |
Results
[edit]
- 70–80%
- 80–90%
- 90–100%
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
[edit]Conservative and Independence
[edit]
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 80–90%
- 90–100%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 80–90%
- 90–100%
- 50%

- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 80–90%
- 90–100%
- 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 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
[edit]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
[edit]Predictions
[edit]Source | Ranking | As of |
---|---|---|
The Cook Political Report[8] | Likely R | October 31, 2002 |
Sabato's Crystal Ball[9] | Likely R | November 4, 2002 |
Polling
[edit]Poll source | Date(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, 2002 | 567 (LV) | ± 4.3% | 47% | 32% | 17% | 2% | 1% |
Results
[edit]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 |
Results by county
[edit]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
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Pataki wins third term in New York - Nov. 5, 2002". edition.cnn.com.
- ^ Lewis, Rebecca (November 13, 2024). "'No one is safe.' NY Dems fret over 2026 governor's race". City & State NY.
- ^ a b "Golisano Beats Pataki in Independence Primary". Buffalo Toronto Public Media. September 11, 2002.
- ^ "McCall gets Democratic Party's nod". Times Herald-Record. May 24, 2002.
- ^ Dewan, Shaila (September 4, 2002). "THE 2002 CAMPAIGN: THE ANNOUNCEMENT; CUOMO QUITS RACE AND BACKS MCCALL FOR GOVERNORSHIP" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "2002 Sep 10 • Conservative Primary • Governor • State of New York". New York State Board of Elections - Elections Database.
- ^ Archibold, Randal (September 24, 2002). "Cuomo Will Remain on Ballot As Liberal Party Candidate" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Governors Races". www.centerforpolitics.org. November 4, 2002. Archived from the original on December 12, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ "SurveyUSA - Current Election Polls". www.surveyusa.com.
- ^ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). www.elections.ny.gov.