In New York, the primaries have ended and the main candidates for the post of governor have been determined: what you need to know about them

Nine months after taking office as governor of New York, Democrat Kathy Hokul easily sealed her party's June 28 nomination. This put her on the expected slippery slope to victory in the elections in November, reports NBC New York.

Hokul served as an inconspicuous lieutenant governor in the shadow of former governor Andrew Cuomo. But last year he resigned over allegations of sexual harassment, nominating her for his post.

Hokul fought off Tuesday's initial challenges from elected New York public attorney Juman Williams and Long Island politician Tom Suozzi. Now she hopes to be the first woman to win election to the office of New York governor this fall.

Hokul gave a speech on Election Night Tuesday on stage in Manhattan.

“I'm also here because I'm standing on the shoulders of generations of women who have constantly had to hit this glass ceiling. Women of New York, this is for you,” Hokul said.

Hokul enters the general election campaign by a wide margin, running as the incumbent with a large fundraising margin in the state. Moreover, there are twice as many Democrats registered in New York as Republicans. And for 16 years, the state did not have a governor from the Republican Party.

Her rival is Lee Zeldin, who won the GOP nomination on June 28.

Zeldin is a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump. He was also among the Republicans in Congress who voted against confirming the results of the 2020 election.

“Are we ready to fire Kathy Hokul?” - Zeldin said to applause, speaking at a party in honor of the victory in Long Island.

The Long Island congressman will try to become the first New York governor elected by a Republican since Gov. George Pataki.

Hokul's outlook is expected to get even better this fall.

Particularly since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling last week that established abortion rights. She made the defense of abortion rights a key element of her campaign.

Hokul said the state "went to crime to protect abortion rights" and "let the world know that New York State is a safe haven for American women."

On the subject: Primaries in New York: how, when and whom the residents of the state and city choose

“We have to answer one question,” she said. “Are we going to move New York forward or are we going to let far-right extremists drag our state back?”

The June 28 elections swept New York State offices and state assembly elections. But the primary competition for seats in the US House of Representatives and the State Senate will take place on August 23. They were delayed due to a lawsuit to revise the boundaries.

Turnout in New York was negligible. The city's electoral board reported that by 18 p.m. about 00 voters had registered to vote. There are over 370 million registered Democrats and Republicans in the city who are eligible to vote in the primaries. There were also few voters in the primaries in Buffalo and Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island.