An Intro to New York's Government

Many New Yorkers– including those around me– seem to know enough about the country's political system, but much less about local politics. A recent discussion with my mom made me remember this gap in knowledge, which I’ve known of for a while, but never really made an effort to address.

In order to boost general awareness of inner-state politics for New Yorkers, I wanted to write a quick overview as an introduction to the state government below.

Like at the federal level, New York’s government is composed of the three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.

EXECUTIVE

The Executive branch is led by the current governor Kathy Hochul, who oversees any administrative functions of the government as the chief executive of the state. Each Governor is elected every four years, with no term limits; the next election will be in November of 2026.

Other elected executive officials include the Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, the second-highest state official, and Attorney General Letitia James, who acts as the chief legal officer.

The branch also consists of a maximum of 20 departments, whose heads are appointed by the Governor with State Senate approval.

LEGISLATIVE

New York’s legislative branch consists of two chambers, a 63-member Senate and a 150-member Assembly. They create and pass laws, and are also responsible for budget negotiations, public hearings, and representing their 19 million constituents.

Elections are held every even-numbered year to select both Senators and Representatives, who serve 2 year terms with no term limits.

JUDICIAL

The judicial system is made up of the Appellate Courts and Trial Courts; the latter categorizes courts as either of Superior Jurisdiction or Lesser Jurisdiction. The Court of Appeals is New York’s highest court.

Voters are responsible for electing members of the state’s Supreme Court, Surrogate’s Court, and Civil Court, who serve 14, 10, and 6-19 years respectively. This varies depending on the city, so it’s best to check the details for yourself before you cast your next ballot.

AT A NATIONAL LEVEL

New York is represented in the Senate and House of Representatives by 2 senators and 26 representatives, all elected through popular vote. As of 2025, New York’s senators are Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, both democrats. The state has nineteen democrats and seven republicans who serve as representatives for their individual districts.