NYC early voting starts today: Key races that could shape house control

Early voting NYC: New Yorkers can begin casting their ballots on Saturday. With several closely watched congressional races potentially influencing which party controls the US House of Representatives for the next two years.

Early voting runs through November 1, ahead of Election Day on November 3. Republicans are defending seats in suburban districts north of New York City and across northern New York, while Democrats see opportunities to make gains. Voters will also decide whether Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James will serve another term.

Early Voting Puts New York’s Governor’s Race in Focus

Hochul is seeking reelection against Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. She became New York’s first female governor in 2021 after Andrew Cuomo resigned amid sexual harassment allegations which he denied. Hochul had served as lieutenant governor, won a full term in 2022 by defeating Lee Zeldin.


Blakeman has centered his campaign on crime and taxes while trying to link Hochul to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani through what he calls the “Hochul-Mamdani agenda.”

Hochul and Mamdani have worked together on expanding access to childcare. Mamdani also campaigned with her on Friday and shared videos on social media supporting her candidacy.

Blakeman has received an endorsement from President Donald Trump and campaigned alongside him at a rally in Syracuse in early October. A Quinnipiac University poll of likely New York voters found Hochul leading Blakeman by 55% to 41%.

Letitia James Faces a Republican Challenger

Attorney General Letitia James is running against Saritha Komatireddy, a former chief of staff at the Drug Enforcement Administration.

James drew national attention for her 2022 civil fraud lawsuit against Trump. His company and members of his family over allegations that they inflated their net worth. The case resulted in a $454 million judgment, which an appeals court overturned in 2025.

Komatireddy has used the campaign slogan “just fight crime,” a message that has attracted attention on social media.

Early Voting Could Shape Contests for Two House Seats

Two congressional races in the New York suburbs are drawing attention as voters head to the polls.

In 17th Congressional District in the lower Hudson Valley, Republican Rep Mike Lawler is facing Democrat Cait Conley. Trump held a rally with Lawler in the district in May and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg campaigned with Conley in September.

The 3rd Congressional District which includes parts of Nassau County and Queens has a contest between Democratic Rep Tom Suozzi and Republican Michael LiPetri, according to ABC News.

Open Seat Gives Democrats an Opportunity in Northern New York

21st Congressional District stretches from the Mohawk Valley along the Erie Canal to the Canadian border. The seat is open after Republican Elise Stefanik abandoned her planned bid for the party’s gubernatorial nomination and announced she would not seek reelection to Congress.

Republican Anthony Constantino, a sticker company CEO endorsed by Trump, is running against Democratic farmer Blake Gendebien. Trump backed Constantino during the Republican primary, when he faced a state lawmaker endorsed by the head of the New York Republican Party.

Tariffs and relations between the United States and Canada are key concerns in parts of the district.