1982 New York gubernatorial election
The 1982 New York gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1982, to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New York. Incumbent Democratic Governor Hugh Carey chose not to run for a third term, which resulted in an open race. Democratic nominee Mario Cuomo, the Lieutenant Governor of New York, narrowly defeated Republican Lewis Lehrman, a banker who ran as a conservative.
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County results Cuomo: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Lehrman: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in New York State |
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Both candidates had been considered unlikely victors of their respective parties' primaries. Cuomo had unexpectedly defeated Ed Koch, the Mayor of New York City, to win the Democratic nomination. Cuomo was considered a political liberal who worked to revitalize the New Deal coalition. Entering the race as a political novice, Lehrman reportedly spent $7 million to boost his profile through advertising, beginning as early as January 1981. Lehrman ran a law and order campaign, referring to criminals as "savages", and on fiscal policy pledged cuts to the state income tax.
Cuomo ultimately won what was described as "a classic left vs. right battle" by a 50.9 to 47.5 percent margin, buoyed by voters in New York City. Cuomo would go on to serve three terms in office before ultimately losing reelection in 1994.