New York Gov. Kathy Hochul wins her full term in the gubernatorial race after her rival, Republican Lee Zeldin, concedes the race in the unexpectedly tight election.

The congressman, who is from Shirley, initially refused to concede the race after the major news networks and Associated Press declared Democrat Hochul as the winner a few hours after polls closed on Election Day.

Hochul Wins Full Term as Governor

However, he later issued a statement before 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday where he congratulated his rival. The latest tally showed the governor leading by 323,000 votes, (52.8% to 47.2%) with 94% of districts reporting across New York.

The New York gubernatorial race was the closest race for the position in the state since 1994. With Zeldin acknowledging his loss to Hochul, he also said that his campaign was able to raise issues on crime, the economy, and education that his rival and Democratic-led Legislature should address in the future, as per Newsday.

The 42-year-old Republican congratulated Hochul on her election to a full four-year term, noting that the race was a once-in-a-generation campaign. He noted that there was a very close margin in the bluest of blue states.

Zeldin added that the unrelenting passion and hard work of grassroots volunteers and supporters made the incredibly close race possible and helped him win at least 49 of New York's 62 counties. He argued that those who had control over Albany should take note.

According to CNN, Hochul's victory as New York governor keeps Democrats in the state on track to maintain their now nearly two-decade-old winning streak in statewide elections. The governor, a Buffalo native, took over the top job in August 2021 after Andrew Cuomo's resignation.

Read Also: Joe Biden Sends Strong Message, Warning to Republican Winners of 2022 US Midterm Elections 

Hotly Contested Election

The latter, who was a three-term governor, faced impeachment amid a sexual harassment scandal. Despite Hochul being Cuomo's lieutenant governor, she was never closely aligned with him and quickly moved after taking office to clear out the former governor's allies.

Hochul is also the first woman to hold the governor's office in New York and was able to become the first to win it in an election. Her rival, Zeldin, is a conservative acolyte of former United States President Donald Trump. He ran a "law and order" campaign that almost focused entirely on fears over rising crime and a 2019 criminal justice reform law.

However, Zeldin also tapped into frustration over the state of the economy, which has been slow to recover in and around New York City. The situation followed the worst of the coronavirus pandemic as well as working-class concerns over environmental initiatives.

Despite the Republican loss in New York, where they are outnumbered by registered Democrats by more than two to one, the GOP posted its strongest statewide performance in decades. With the vast majority of the votes counted, Hochul's margin looked similar to that of a governor who was fighting in an election of a hotly contested swing state compared to what is known as a deep blue New York, the New York Times reported.

Related Article: Is Donald Trump Really 'Furious' About 2022 US Midterm Elections Results? Ex-POTUS Speaks Out