New York Gov. Kathy Hochul won reelection Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman as the state continues efforts to expand its film and television industry. NBC News called the race for the Democratic incumbent, who led the Nassau County executive by 47 points with roughly one-fifth of votes counted.
New York attracted $1.6 billion in production spending last quarter under Hochul, whose administration has sought to strengthen the state’s position as a filming destination. Her campaign received endorsements from three major entertainment unions in the region: Actors’ Equity, IATSE and AFM Local 802.
The state approved a film tax credit program worth $800 million annually through 2036, alongside another $100 million dedicated to increasing benefits for independent productions. New soundstages have also opened across New York City’s five boroughs to accommodate anticipated production demand.
Adam Gordon, who co-founded Wildflower Studios in Astoria with Robert De Niro, welcomed Hochul’s victory. “She has been a real champion for this industry and we’re enthusiastic about what comes next,” Gordon told The Hollywood Reporter. He said the studio, completed in 2024, is fully occupied. Its recent productions include Focker-in-Law, due out this month. Hochul also signed the country’s first laws regulating artificial intelligence in media and advertising and reversed restrictions on dancing in New York bars, a change supported by Kevin Bacon.
Elsewhere on the ballot, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez won congressional races after defeating moderate Democratic incumbents in their primaries. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani had supported both candidates, who are aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America. They also campaigned with streamer Hasan Piker during the primaries.
Chevalier became prominent in the pro-Palestinian student movement at Columbia University following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. Her policy positions include abolishing prisons. She and Valdez, whose district covers a large part of Queens, are expected to help form a progressive group within the Democratic caucus that some have called “the Bloc.” Other incoming representatives associated with that group include Melat Kiros and Adam Hamawy.
In New York’s 17th Congressional District, Republican incumbent Mike Lawler conceded to Democratic challenger Cait Conley around 11 p.m., before any major news organization had called the contest. Voting machine problems in northern Westchester, reportedly caused by a programming error, delayed ballot tabulation. As results arrived from predominantly Democratic Westchester, Lawler’s early advantage disappeared and Conley moved ahead.
Lawler told reporters that every vote should be counted as the tally continued, according to the New York Post. Conley, a retired Army officer who served six overseas tours, campaigned primarily on reducing living costs and connecting Lawler to President Trump’s tariffs and foreign wars. Actress Carrie Coon campaigned for Conley, while Edie Falco and former Clinton and Obama aide Rahm Emmanuel endorsed her.
