New York Voter Guide: What to know about key races

New Yorkers will cast votes this year for a U.S. Senate seat and almost every other legislative office in Washington and Albany, including a handful of swing seats that will help determine which party rules the House of Representatives in 2025.

The marquee race, of course, is the presidential contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump that will top every New York ballot on Nov. 5. Below that is a varying lineup of mostly federal and state elections. New Yorkers also will take up a ballot proposal to add abortion and LGBTQ rights to the state constitution by expanding its ban on racial and religious discrimination.

Here's a breakdown of the types of contests New York voters will decide in 2024:

U.S. Senate

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat who has represented the state for 15 years, is being challenged by Republican Mike Sapraicone, a retired police detective who owns a private-security firm. Gillibrand was appointed in 2009 to replace Hillary Clinton after Clinton became secretary of state, and she has since won three elections to remain in the Senate. She's seeking a third full term of six years.

U.S. House of Representatives

All of New York's 26 House seats are up for election for two-year terms.

Fierce races are expected for up to seven competitive districts from Long Island to Syracuse, most of them held by GOP freshmen. The outcomes will help decide which party controls the House in 2025, making New York a key battleground in a larger power struggle.

State legislature

All 150 Assembly seats and 63 Senate seats are up for election for two-year terms. Democrats dominate both chambers, where they have held supermajorities — two thirds of the seats in both the Assembly and Senate — since the 2020 elections.

State and county judges

Ballots generally feature one or more regional races for state Supreme Court, which is New York's trial court for civil cases (not its highest court, which is the Court of Appeals). Candidates for Supreme Court justice run in one of 13 multi-county judicial districts after being nominated by political parties at conventions in August. Winners serve 14-year terms on the bench.

There may also be county-level judge races for County Court, where felony criminal cases are heard; for Family Court, which handles foster care, child protection, juvenile delinquency and other matters; and Surrogate's Court, which oversees wills and estates.

County and local races

Most county and municipal officials in New York are elected in odd-numbered years, in between the more high-profile state and federal races. But some ballots this year will include local elections, including a Broome County executive race. Under a 2023 state law, all elections for county executive, county legislator and town board members are set to shift to even years, although multiple counties and towns have sued to stop it from taking effect.  

Statewide ballot question

New Yorkers will vote on a proposal to add abortion and LGBTQ rights to the constitution by expanding its existing ban on racial and religious discrimination. The amendment would add a host of other protected categories, including pregnancy outcomes, sexual orientation and gender identity. Opponents sued on procedural grounds to try to stop the referendum, but they lost their case with a final ruling in July by the state Court of Appeals.