2002 New York gubernatorial election
2002 New York gubernatorial election
County resultsPataki: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%McCall: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%Golisano: 30–40%
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.
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
Source
Date
George Pataki
Rudolph Giuliani
Quinnipiac
December 14, 2000
60%
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
Source
Date
Carl McCall
Andrew Cuomo
Quinnipiac
December 14, 2000
33%
39%
Quinnipiac
February 14, 2001
35%
36%
Quinnipiac
March 28, 2001
33%
40%
Quinnipiac
April 24, 2001
33%
39%
Quinnipiac
June 26, 2001
31%
44%
Quinnipiac
October 2, 2001
29%
41%
Quinnipiac
November 14, 2001
29%
37%
Quinnipiac
January 23, 2002
38%
38%
Quinnipiac
February 27, 2002
35%
40%
Quinnipiac
April 18, 2002
30%
44%
Quinnipiac
May 1, 2002
33%
43%
Quinnipiac
July 2, 2002
32%
47%
Quinnipiac
August 15, 2002
47%
31%
Quinnipiac
September 3, 2002
53%
31%
Lieutenant governor
Source
Date
Dennis Mehiel
Charlie King
Quinnipiac
September 3, 2002
24%
17%
Debate
Results
Results by county:
Other nominations
Conservative and Independence
Independence primary results by county: 50–60%
60–70%
70–80%
80–90%
90–100%
50–60%
60–70%
70–80%
80–90%
90–100%
Conservative primary results by county: 50–60%
60–70%
70–80%
80–90%
90–100%
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]
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
Polling
Poll source
Date(s) administered
Sample size[ b]
Marginof error
George Pataki (R)
Carl McCall (D)
Tom Golisano (I)
Gerald Cronin (RTL)
Other / Undecided
SurveyUSA [ 4]
October 28–30, 2002
567 (LV)
± 4.3%
47%
32%
17%
2%
1%
Source
Date
H. Carl McCall (D)
George Pataki (R)
Thomas Golisano (I)
Quinnipiac
December 14, 2000
36%
48%
-
Quinnipiac
February 14, 2001
36%
43%
-
Quinnipiac
March 28, 2001
35%
48%
-
Quinnipiac
April 24, 2001
36%
43%
-
Quinnipiac
June 26, 2001
35%
46%
-
Quinnipiac
October 2, 2001
26%
59%
-
Quinnipiac
November 14, 2001
24%
56%
-
Quinnipiac
January 23, 2002
27%
57%
-
Quinnipiac
February 27, 2002
29%
57%
-
Quinnipiac
April 18, 2002
29%
56%
-
Quinnipiac
May 1, 2002
27%
58%
-
Quinnipiac
July 2, 2002
26%
53%
7%
Marist
September 9, 2002
32%
48%
11%
Quinnipiac
September 25, 2002
35%
46%
14%
Marist
October 1, 2002
32%
48%
9%
Quinnipiac
October 16, 2002
31%
47%
18%
The New York Times
October 17, 2002
31%
42%
17%
Marist
October 30, 2002
27%
47%
17%
Marist
November 4, 2002
27%
47%
19%
Quinnipiac
November 4, 2002
29%
45%
14%
Hypothetical polling
Source
Date
Andrew Cuomo (D)
George Pataki (R)
Thomas Golisano (I)
Quinnipiac
December 14, 2000
37%
48%
-
Quinnipiac
February 14, 2001
37%
46%
-
Quinnipiac
March 28, 2001
36%
48%
-
Quinnipiac
April 24, 2001
36%
46%
-
Quinnipiac
June 26, 2001
39%
47%
-
Quinnipiac
October 2, 2001
25%
60%
-
Quinnipiac
November 14, 2001
25%
57%
-
Quinnipiac
January 23, 2002
28%
59%
-
Quinnipiac
February 27, 2002
28%
59%
-
Quinnipiac
April 18, 2002
30%
54%
-
Quinnipiac
May 1, 2002
26%
59%
-
Quinnipiac
July 2, 2002
26%
54%
6%
Source
Date
Andrew Cuomo (D)
Rudolph Giuliani (R)
Quinnipiac
December 14, 2000
39%
47%
Source
Date
H. Carl McCall (D)
Rudolph Giuliani (R)
Quinnipiac
December 14, 2000
39%
45%
Results
Results by county
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
Notes
^ Jointly nominated by the GOP and Independence parties
^ Key: A – all adults RV – registered voters LV – likely voters V – unclear
References
External links
U.S. Senate U.S. House Governors State Attorneys General State legislatures Mayors
Anaheim, CA
Dallas, TX (special)
Irvine, CA
Long Beach, CA
New Orleans, LA
Oakland, CA
Providence, RI
San Jose, CA
Tulsa, OK
Washington, DC
States generally