2002 New York gubernatorial election

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 2023, 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.

2002 New York gubernatorial election
November 5, 2002
 
Nominee George Pataki Carl McCall Tom Golisano
Party Republican Democratic Independence
Alliance Conservative Working Families
Running mate Mary Donohue Dennis Mehiel Mary Donohue
Popular vote 2,262,255 1,534,064 654,016
Percentage 49.4% 33.5% 14.3%
County results
Pataki:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
McCall:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Golisano:      30–40%
Governor before election

George Pataki
Republican

 Elected Governor

George Pataki
Republican

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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.

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%

Results
2002 New York Democratic gubernatorial primary
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

Conservative and Independence

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]

CandidateConservative votepercentageIndependence votepercentage
George Pataki18,185(86.86%)9,026(48.53%)
Tom Golisano2,751(13.14%)9,572(51.47%)

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.

General election

Predictions
Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[2] Likely R October 31, 2002
Sabato's Crystal Ball[3] Likely R November 4, 2002

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[lower-alpha 1]		 Margin
of error		 George Pataki
(R)		 Carl
McCall (D)		 Tom
Golisano (I)		 Gerald
Cronin (RTL)		 Other /
Undecided
SurveyUSA 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
New York gubernatorial election, 2002[4]
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 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
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
Totals49.40%2,262,25533.50%1,534,06414.28%654,0160.97%44,1950.91%41,7970.93%42,7514,579,078

Counties that flipped from Republican to Independence

See also

Notes
  1. Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear

References
  1. www.elections.state.ny.us 2002 Primary Canvas.
  2. "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.
  3. "Governors Races". www.centerforpolitics.org. November 4, 2002. Archived from the original on December 12, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  4. "NYS Board of Elections Governor Election Returns Nov. 5, 2002" (PDF).
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