2022 New York gubernatorial election in the context of "Jumaane Williams"

The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the New York Legislature, to convene the legislature and grant pardons, except in cases of impeachment and treason. The governor of New York is the highest paid governor in the country.

The current governor is Kathy Hochul, a member of the Democratic Party who took office on August 24, 2021, following the resignation of Andrew Cuomo. She was elected to a full term in 2022.

Lee Michael Zeldin (born January 30, 1980) is an American politician who has been serving as the 17th administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since January 29, 2025. A member of the Republican Party, he represented New York's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2023. From 2011 to 2014, Zeldin served as a member of the New York State Senate from the 3rd Senate district.

A close ally of President Donald Trump, Zeldin prominently defended Trump during his first impeachment hearings concerning the Trump–Ukraine scandal. In April 2021, Zeldin announced his candidacy for Governor of New York in 2022. He defeated three challengers in the Republican primary, becoming the nominee of the Republican Party and the Conservative Party. Zeldin lost the election to incumbent governor Kathy Hochul while receiving the highest percentage of the vote for a Republican gubernatorial nominee since 2002 and the highest raw vote total for a Republican gubernatorial nominee since 1970.

Thomas Richard Suozzi (/ˈswɒzi/ SWOZ-ee; born August 31, 1962) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 3rd congressional district since 2024 and previously from 2017 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the county executive of Nassau County on Long Island from 2002 to 2009 and served before then as the mayor of Glen Cove for eight years. His district, which is largely suburban, includes northern Nassau County and parts of northeastern Queens.

In 2006, he ran unsuccessfully against Eliot Spitzer for the Democratic nomination for governor of New York. Suozzi was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016 and reelected in 2018 and 2020. He retired from Congress to run again for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 2022, losing to incumbent governor Kathy Hochul.

Diana Reyna (born November 23, 1973) is an American politician who was the deputy borough president for Brooklyn and a member of the New York City Council from the 34th District, which includes Williamsburg and Bushwick as well as Ridgewood in Queens. Reyna ran for lieutenant governor of New York in the 2022 election as U.S. Representative Tom Suozzi's running mate.