2010 New York gubernatorial election

The 2010 New York gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Incumbent Democratic governor David Paterson, who was elected as lieutenant governor in 2006 as the running mate of Eliot Spitzer, and became governor in 2008 following Spitzer's resignation, initially ran for a full term but withdrew in February 2010. Democratic New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo defeated Republican Carl Paladino to become the next governor of New York. Cuomo dominated downstate New York and won a majority of upstate counties, while Paladino did well in his home region of Buffalo, winning Democratic-leaning Erie County.

The results of New York's gubernatorial elections are used to decide which parties receive automatic ballot access and in what order the parties are listed on the ballot. Parties whose candidates for governor receive over 50,000 votes on that party's line receive automatic ballot access for the next four years until the next gubernatorial election. This rule applies regardless of whether the party fielded its own candidate or cross-endorsed the candidate of another party. Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins received over 57,000 votes, allowing the New York Green Party to be listed on the ballot for the following four years.

As of 2026, this is the last time that Erie County voted Republican in a gubernatorial election, as well as the last time that any candidate won over 60% of the vote in a gubernatorial election. This is also the last time Democrats won the following counties in a gubernatorial election: Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Greene, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Ontario, Orange, Oswego, Otsego, Putnam, Rensselaer, St. Lawerence, Saratoga, Schuyler, Seneca, Sullivan, Warren, Washington, Wayne, and Yates. This is the most recent New York gubernatorial election in which the winner won a majority of counties, as well as the last election without an incumbent running.