New York Attorney General election, 2018

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New York Attorney General
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: July 12, 2018
Primary: September 13, 2018
General: November 6, 2018
Pre-election incumbent(s):
Barbara Underwood (Democrat)
How to vote
Poll times: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. (general elections); primary times vary by county
Voting in New York
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2018
Impact of term limits in 2018
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
New York
executive elections
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New York held an election for attorney general in 2018. The closed primary election took place on September 13, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018.[1] The candidate filing deadline was July 12, 2018.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D), who was first elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014, resigned from office on May 8, 2018, amid allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse.[2] He was temporarily replaced by New York Solicitor General Barbara Underwood, the first woman to hold the position. Read more below.

Democratic Party For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
Republican Party For more information about the Republican primary, click here.
For more information about attorney general elections in 2018, click here.

SETTING THE STAGE
  • In 2018, New York was under divided government. It had this status since Republicans gained a majority in the New York State Senate in 2011. New York was also a Democratic triplex.
  • New York was won by the Democratic candidate in the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016. The widest margin of victory was Barack Obama's 28 percent margin in 2012, while the narrowest was John Kerry's 18 percent margin in 2004.


    • Candidates and election results

    General election

    General election

    General election for Attorney General of New York

    Candidate
    %
    Votes
    ✔
    Image of Letitia James
    		Letitia James (D)
     
    62.4
     
    		3,739,239
    Image of Keith Wofford
    		Keith Wofford (R)
     
    35.2
     
    		2,108,600
    Image of Michael Sussman
    		Michael Sussman (G)
     
    1.2
     
    		72,512
    Image of Christopher B. Garvey
    		Christopher B. Garvey (L)
     
    0.7
     
    		43,767
    Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
    Submit photo
    		Nancy Sliwa (Reform Party)
     
    0.4
     
    		26,441
     Other/Write-in votes
     
    0.0
     
    		2,958

    There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

    		Total votes: 5,993,517
    Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
    If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

    Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

    Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

    Political party key:
    Electiondot.png Democratic
    Ends.png Republican
    Darkred.png Conservative Party
    Begins.png Green Party
    Darkpurple.png Independence Party
    Blueslashed.png Reform Party
    Cyanslashed.png Tax Revolt Party
    Women's Equality Party Women's Equality Party
    Darkgreen.png Working Families Party

    Fusion voting candidates

    Democratic primary election

    Democratic primary election

    Democratic primary for Attorney General of New York

    Candidate
    %
    Votes
    ✔
    Image of Letitia James
    		Letitia James
     
    40.3
     
    		608,308
    Image of Zephyr Teachout
    		Zephyr Teachout
     
    31.0
     
    		468,083
    Image of Sean Maloney
    		Sean Maloney
     
    25.1
     
    		379,099
    Image of Leecia Eve
    		Leecia Eve
     
    3.5
     
    		52,367

    There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

    		Total votes: 1,507,857
    Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
    If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

    Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

    Republican primary election

    Republican primary election

    Republican primary for Attorney General of New York

    Candidate
    ✔
    Image of Keith Wofford
    		Keith Wofford

    There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

    Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
    If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

    Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.


    Noteworthy events

    Eric Schneiderman resignation and replacement by Barbara Underwood

    Eric Schneiderman (D) resigned on May 7, 2018, shortly after four women accused him of striking or choking them without their consent. The allegations were first reported by the New Yorker.

    Schneiderman, who was first elected as New York's attorney general in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014, denied that the activities the women described were nonconsensual. He said: “In the privacy of intimate relationships, I have engaged in role-playing and other consensual sexual activity. I have not assaulted anyone. I have never engaged in nonconsensual sex, which is a line I would not cross.”[3]

    Following Schneiderman's resignation, New York Solicitor General Barbara Underwood became the attorney general. The New York Constitution gave the New York State Legislature the ability to fill the rest of Schneiderman's 2015-2018 term by a joint vote of both chambers. Underwood said she would interview to complete the final days of the term, but she would not seek election to the position in 2018.[4]

    On May 22, both chambers of the New York State Legislature convened and voted 191-1 to keep Underwood on as attorney general. She became the first woman to hold the position.[5]


    State overview

    Partisan control

    This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in New York heading into the 2018 elections.

    Congressional delegation

    State executives

    State legislature

    • Democrats controlled both chambers of the New York State Legislature. They had a 104-41 majority in the state Assembly and a 32-31 majority in the state Senate.

    Trifecta status

    • New York was a Democratic trifecta, meaning that the Democratic Party controlled the office of the governor, the state House, and the state Senate.

    2018 elections

    See also: New York elections, 2018

    New York held elections for the following positions in 2018:

    Demographics

    Demographic data for New York
     New YorkU.S.
    Total population:19,747,183316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):47,1263,531,905
    Race and ethnicity**
    White:64.6%73.6%
    Black/African American:15.6%12.6%
    Asian:8%5.1%
    Native American:0.4%0.8%
    Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
    Two or more:2.9%3%
    Hispanic/Latino:18.4%17.1%
    Education
    High school graduation rate:85.6%86.7%
    College graduation rate:34.2%29.8%
    Income
    Median household income:$59,269$53,889
    Persons below poverty level:18.5%11.3%
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
    Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in New York.
    **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

    As of July 2016, New York's three largest cities were New York (pop. est. 8,622,698), Hempstead (pop. est. 774,959), and Brookhaven (pop. est. 486,170).[6][7]

    State election history

    This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in New York from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the New York State Board of Elections.

    Historical elections

    Presidential elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of the presidential election in New York every year from 2000 to 2016.

    Election results (President of the United States), New York 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 59.0% Republican Party Donald Trump 36.5% 22.5%
    2012 Democratic Party Barack Obama 63.3% Republican Party Mitt Romney 35.2% 28.1%
    2008 Democratic Party Barack Obama 62.9% Republican Party John McCain 36.0% 26.1%
    2004 Democratic Party John Kerry 58.4% Republican Party George W. Bush 40.1% 18.3%
    2000 Democratic Party Al Gore 60.2% Republican Party George W. Bush 35.2% 25.0%

    U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in New York from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

    Election results (U.S. Senator), New York 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Democratic Party Chuck Schumer 70.7% Republican Party Wendy Long 27.1% 43.6%
    2012 Democratic Party Kirsten Gillibrand 67.6% Republican Party Wendy Long 24.7% 42.9%
    2010 Democratic Party Chuck Schumer 64.0% Republican Party Jay Townsend 31.1% 32.9%
    2008 Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 67.0% Republican Party John Spencer 31.0% 36.0%
    2004 Democratic Party Chuck Schumer 71.2% Republican Party Howard Mills 24.2% 47.0%
    2000 Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 55.3% Republican Party Rick Lazio 43.0% 22.3%

    Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in New York.

    Election results (Governor), New York 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2014 Democratic Party Andrew Cuomo 50.3% Republican Party Rob Astorino 40.3% 10.0%
    2010 Democratic Party Andrew Cuomo 61.0% Republican Party Carl Paladino 32.5% 28.5%
    2006 Democratic Party Eliot Spitzer 65.3% Republican Party John Faso 27.1% 38.2%
    2002 Republican Party George Pataki 49.4% Democratic Party Carl McCall 33.5% 15.9%

    Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent New York in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

    Congressional delegation, New York 2000-2016
    Year Republicans Republicans (%) Democrats Democrats (%) Balance of power
    2016 Republican Party 9 33.3% Democratic Party 18 66.7% D+7
    2014 Republican Party 9 33.3% Democratic Party 18 66.7% D+7
    2012 Republican Party 6 22.2% Democratic Party 21 77.8% D+15
    2010 Republican Party 8 27.6% Democratic Party 21 72.4% D+13
    2008 Republican Party 3 10.3% Democratic Party 26 89.6% D+23
    2006 Republican Party 6 20.7% Democratic Party 23 79.3% D+17
    2004 Republican Party 9 31.0% Democratic Party 20 69.0% D+9
    2002 Republican Party 10 34.5% Democratic Party 19 65.5% D+9
    2000 Republican Party 12 38.7% Democratic Party 19 61.3% D+7

    Trifectas, 1992-2017

    A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

    New York Party Control: 1992-2025
    Nine years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
    Governor D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
    Senate R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D
    Assembly D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D



    Pivot Counties

    See also: Pivot Counties by state

    Eighteen of 62 New York counties—29 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

    Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
    County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
    Broome County, New York 2.01% 5.31% 8.02%
    Cayuga County, New York 11.64% 11.40% 8.48%
    Cortland County, New York 5.58% 9.11% 9.96%
    Essex County, New York 1.14% 18.77% 13.32%
    Franklin County, New York 5.45% 26.07% 22.23%
    Madison County, New York 14.20% 0.89% 0.87%
    Niagara County, New York 17.75% 0.84% 1.00%
    Orange County, New York 5.50% 5.65% 4.13%
    Oswego County, New York 21.99% 7.93% 2.44%
    Otsego County, New York 11.13% 2.72% 5.91%
    Rensselaer County, New York 1.41% 12.19% 9.34%
    St. Lawrence County, New York 8.82% 16.71% 16.33%
    Saratoga County, New York 3.21% 2.44% 3.40%
    Seneca County, New York 11.01% 9.08% 2.60%
    Suffolk County, New York 6.84% 3.69% 5.99%
    Sullivan County, New York 11.23% 9.02% 9.46%
    Warren County, New York 8.47% 2.32% 2.64%
    Washington County, New York 18.40% 1.90% 0.81%

    In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won New York with 59 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 36.5 percent. In presidential elections between 1792 and 2016, New York voted Democratic 45.6 percent of the time and Republican 35 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, New York voted Democratic all five times.[8]

    Presidential results by legislative district

    The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state Assembly districts in New York. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[9][10]

    In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 114 out of 150 state Assembly districts in New York with an average margin of victory of 46.5 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 99 out of 150 state Assembly districts in New York with an average margin of victory of 50.3 points. Clinton won four districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
    In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 36 out of 150 state Assembly districts in New York with an average margin of victory of 10.5 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 51 out of 150 state Assembly districts in New York with an average margin of victory of 17.6 points. Trump won 13 districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

    Recent news

    The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms New York attorney general election 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

    New York Attorney General election, 2018 - Google News

    See also

    New York government:

    Elections:

    Ballotpedia exclusives:

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ In 2018, the Reform Party opened its primary to party members, Libertarians, unaffiliated voters, and voters associated with unqualified parties.
    2. ↑ The New York Times, "Eric Schneiderman, New York’s Attorney General, Resigns Amid Abuse Accusations," May 7, 2018
    3. ↑ New York Times, "Eric Schneiderman Resigns as New York Attorney General Amid Assault Claims by 4 Women," May 7, 2018
    4. ↑ WIBX 950, "Acting Attorney General Won't Seek Election to Office," May 16, 2018
    5. ↑ Politico, "Underwood easily wins legislative approval, becomes state's first female attorney general," May 22, 2018
    6. ↑ New York Demographics, "New York Cities by Population," accessed September 4, 2018
    7. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "Quickfacts New York," accessed September 4, 2018
    8. ↑ 270towin.com, "New York," accessed June 1, 2017
    9. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
    10. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
    11. ↑ Democrats won Assembly District 9 in a special election on May 23, 2017. The seat was previously held by a Republican.
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