Jay Jacobs Re-elected as New York State Democratic Party Chairman

Jay Jacobs was overwhelmingly re-elected as the New York State Democratic Party chairman on Thursday, securing 82% of the vote from party committee members. His challenger, Otsego County Democratic Party Chair Caitlin Ogden, received 14% of the vote, with 4% abstaining.

Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed Jacobs’ re-election bid. The result comes after a period where some party insiders had sought to remove Jacobs, partly due to his refusal to endorse Zohran Mamdani for mayor in the previous year. Jacobs cited fundamental disagreements with Mamdani on economic policy and strong opposition to Mamdani's views on the State of Israel. Jacobs is a proponent of Israel, while Mamdani has previously denounced the nation.

Jacobs, who also serves as the Nassau County Democratic leader, is considered a moderate figure within the Democratic Party, which has seen the rise of more progressive voices and elected socialists.

This marks Jacobs' return to the chairman position for another two-year term. He has previously held the role across two stints, totaling over a decade, under former Governors David Paterson and Andrew Cuomo, as well as current Governor Hochul.

Following his re-election, Jacobs expressed his gratitude and readiness to work towards electing more Democrats. "We are a diverse and united party, and we have candidates all across the state who are standing up to Donald Trump’s attacks on our state and fighting for New York families," Jacobs stated. "I am excited to continue working with the phenomenal leaders who are going to lead us to victory in November."