New York Primary results: Letitia James wins Democrat race for attorney general after Andrew Cuomo takes governor race against Cynthia Nixon

The wave of progressive newcomers threaten to shake up Albany establishment, with Letitia James and Julia Salazar securing seats in New York's Democratic primaries

Cynthia Nixon wants to legalise marijuana in New York

Andrew Cuomo has won the Democrat primary for New York governor, defeating challenger Cynthia Nixon after a highly anticipated election.

Mr Cuomo's win has not come as a surprise, with far greater financial resources going into the race, and polls suggesting he held a strong lead before voting began.

His challenger, Ms Nixon, an activist and star of Sex and the City, had hoped to become the latest liberal challenger to unseat a powerful insider in Albany's Democratic establishment. The night did award some progressive candidates, however, including a State Senate seat for first-time Latina candidate, 27-year-old Julia Salazar, as well as Letitia James, New York's public advocate, who will now serve as the state attorney general.

Mr Cuomo's campaign dismissed Ms Nixon as inexperienced and touted the governor's work to push back against President Donald Trump.

His victory comes despite several missteps, including a widely condemned mailer that questioned Ms Nixon's support for Jewish people. She has two Jewish children and called the attack “sleazy.”

Mr Cuomo will face Republican Marc Molinaro and independent Stephanie Miner in November's general election.

Ms Nixon endorsed several progressive candidates vying for positions in Thursday’s election, including Zephyr Teachout, who ran against Ms James for state attorney general, as well as Jumaane Williams, who ran for lieutenant governor.

The Democratic Party’s primaries took most of the state's media focus for the day, with just one Republican vying for the governor’s seat. Marc Molinaro, a Dutchess County executive and former member of the New York State Assembly, has also criticised the two-term Democratic incumbent over his handling of the city’s subway system and other major issues.

Follow along with The Independent’s live updates throughout the night, as New Yorkers decide the outcome of the crucial 2018 primaries.

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Key Points

• New Yorkers handed an overwhelming victory to Andrew Cuomo for a third-term as the state;s governor

• Some voters reported issues at the polls, saying they are registered but do not appear on voter rolls

• The Democratic primary featured one of the most diverse lineups of candidates in recent state history

• Candidates shared photos of themselves and their families voting

[13 September 2018 20:15 · Kristin Hugo]

Attorney general candidate Leecia Eve has shared photos of her parents casting a vote for her in the Democratic primary. Ms Eve formerly served as an economic development adviser to Mr Cuomo, and worked for Joseph Biden and Hillary Clinton when they were senators from New York. If elected, she will be the first black woman to serve as attorney general in the state.

[13 September 2018 20:30 · Kristin Hugo]

The musical artist P Diddy, real name Sean Combs, has endorsed Letitia "Tish" James for attorney general in the Democratic primary, urging registered voters to "go out and VOTE NOW".

"Tish James has a chance to be the first women of color New York Attorney General. Let’s make history!" he tweeted. He is one of several New-York based celebrities to endorse in the race.

[13 September 2018 20:45 · Kristin Hugo]

Springing off our last post, here's a quick round-up of celebrities who have endorsed in the Empire State gubernatorial primary:

• Rapper Nicki Minaj endorsed incumbent Andrew Cuomo
• Actress and 'Girls' creator Lena Dunham endorsed his opponent, Cynthia Nixon
• Rapper TI also went for Ms Nixon, though stipulating that he has "no idea" who she is
• Richard Schiff and Allison Janney, alumni of the popular political TV show 'The West Wing' also endorsed Ms Nixon
• Sarah Jessica Parker also endorsed Ms Nixon, her former 'Sex and the City' co-star
• Actress and comedian Amy Schumer rounded out the endorsements for Mr Cuomo

We'll update you if any more celebrity endorsements come in.

[13 September 2018 21:00 · Kristin Hugo]

A number of prominent figures have said they were left off their party's voter rolls today, leaving them unable to cast a traditional ballot.

Rebecca Traister, a writer for New York Magazine, said she was not on the rolls at the polling place where she had voted for the last four years. She voted by provisional ballot, as did Mr Cuomo's son, Dante, who also was reportedly left off of the rolls.

It was not immediately clear what was causing the confusion.

[13 September 2018 21:15 · Kristin Hugo]

An update to our last post: The New York Attorney General's office said they had received 40 calls and emails to their election day hotline as of 12pm today. The majority of the complaints involved voters not being on the rolls, according to communications director Amy Spitalnick‏.

The office urged anyone who encountered problems to call the hotline at 800-771-7755, or email civil.rights@ag.ny.gov.

[13 September 2018 21:30 · Kristin Hugo]

The Nixon campaign is advertising their own voter protection hotline, as reports pour in of residents being left off the voter rolls. Nixon herself urged voters to call (646) 688-4124 if they encountered problems at the voting booth, saying her team would "look into the issue at your polling site and make sure you're able to vote".

Reporter Nomiki Konst made a brief video about her own experience trying to vote, which you can watch below:

[13 September 2018 21:45 · Kristin Hugo]

New Yorkers are sharing their "I voted" stickers on social media to celebrate casting a ballot in today's primaries. Here are a few of our favourite posts of the day:

[13 September 2018 22:00 · Kristin Hugo]

 Attorney General candidate Zephyr Teachout stopped by a local public school as part of her voter outreach this afternoon. The candidate has made education one of the three main focuses of her campaign, claiming Governor Andrew Cuomo "completely abandoned schools" in the city.

"As Attorney General I will fight for and defend the right of ALL children to have a free and quality education," she tweeted on Thursday.

[13 September 2018 22:15 · Kristin Hugo]

Zehpyr Teachout has recently pulled ahead of Letitia James in the prediction market for the attorney general's race. PredictIt, a political prediction market operated by the Victoria University of Wellington in Australia, puts Ms Teachout's "stock price" at 52 cents, compared to Ms James's 42 cents. But polls don't close for another four hours, so there's plenty of time for that to change.

[13 September 2018 22:30 · Kristin Hugo]

Despite endorsing Andrew Cuomo for governor just two days earlier, comedian Amy Schumer says she has voted for Cynthia Nixon instead. The comedian wrote on Instagram that she "couldn't help it" and "voted with my heart". 

"Thanks to the women who took their time to talk to me about it," she wrote. "When someone disagrees with you be patient and have a conversation. It’s most productive."