1986 New York gubernatorial election
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 County results Cuomo: 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% O'Rourke: 40-50% 50-60% | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1986 New York gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1986 to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New York. Incumbent Democratic governor Mario Cuomo defeated Republican Andrew O'Rourke, the County Executive of Westchester County in a landslide. Cuomo carried all but 5 counties.
Republican nomination[]
Candidates[]
Lewis Lehrman, the 1982 Republican nominee for Governor, decided early on not to mount another candidacy versus Cuomo. Lehrman's decision to forgo a candidacy was seen as a blow to state Republican leaders, given his strong performance in 1982 and wide fundraising capacity.[1] Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger considered running for Governor and was deemed an "able" challenger,[2] and decision to ultimately pass on a candidacy also led to a leadership vacuum.[3]
With Lehrman and Kissinger both passing on the contest, a number of other names were mentioned as potential challengers to Cuomo. State Senator Roy M. Goodman, considered a liberal Republican,[4] openly considered mounting a statewide candidacy.[1] James L. Emery, Lehrman's running-mate in 1982, had also been mentioned as a possible candidate.[3] Though subject to media speculation, U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani also decided to run.[1]
In the end, O'Rourke secured the Republican nomination, and was praised as an "extremely credible candidate" by White House official Bill Lacy.[3] His running mate was E. Michael Kavanagh, who served as District Attorney of Ulster County.[5]
Results[]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mario Cuomo | 2,654,754 | 61.83% | ||
| Liberal | Mario Cuomo | 120,291 | 2.80% | ||
| Total | Mario Cuomo (incumbent) | 2,775,045 | 64.63% | +13.72% | |
| Republican | Andrew O'Rourke | 1,211,662 | 28.22% | ||
| Conservative | Andrew O'Rourke | 152,306 | 3.55% | ||
| Total | Andrew O'Rourke | 1,363,968 | 31.77% | -15.71% | |
| New York State Right to Life Party | Denis Dillon | 130,827 | 3.05% | +2.05% | |
| New Alliance | Lenora Fulani | 24,135 | 0.56% | +0.46% | |
| Majority | 1,411,077 | 32.86% | +29.43% | ||
| Turnout | 4,293,975 | ||||
| Democratic hold | |||||
References[]
- ^ a b c Lynn, Frank (1985-11-12). "LEHRMAN SAYS HE WON'T RUN IN RACE FOR GOVERNOR IN 1986". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
- ^ Schmalz, Jeffrey (1986-02-01). "KISSINGER IS CALLED ABLE AS A CUOMO CHALLENGER". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
- ^ a b c Lynn, Frank (1986-03-09). "O'ROURKE FAVORED FOR ALBANY RACE". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
- ^ Pérez-Peña, Richard (2014-06-04). "Roy Goodman, Liberal Republican Stalwart in New York, Dies at 84". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
- ^ Lynn, Frank (1986-10-14). "KAVANAGH IS PONDERING LIFE BEYOND ELECTION DAY". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
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