New York’s Party Designating Conventions: More than Just a Party for the Party Faithful
By: Joseph T. Burns
In recent decades, the national political party conventions have ceased to be actual contests over presidential and vice-presidential nominations. The days of deal making between state party bosses and multi-round balloting at national conventions now belong to a past era. Today’s national party conventions exist as made-for-TV infomercials for the party’s national ticket.
But in New York, the state party designating conventions still play a meaningful and consequential role in state politics. These conventions, which will be held in early 2026, will be more than just pep rallies for the New York’s party activists.
The Election Law requires these conventions to be held in the weeks preceding the start of the period for circulating party designating petitions. Each party’s duly elected state committee members serve as the voting members of the state convention.
At the convention, the members of the state committee select candidates to be the party’s designees for statewide office. In 2026, the statewide offices for which designations will be made are Governor, Lt. Governor, Comptroller, and Attorney General. Because of an amendment to the Election Law in 2025, candidates for Governor and Lt. Governor will run jointly as a ticket in the primary election. This change in the Election Law also requires that candidates for Governor and Lt. Governor be designated jointly at the state party conventions.
When voting at the convention, state committee members cast a weighted vote based on the vote received by their party’s candidate for Governor in their political subdivision in the preceding gubernatorial election. Any candidate receiving a majority of the weighted vote becomes the party’s designated candidate for that office. Candidates receiving at least twenty-five percent of the weighted vote are entitled to a spot on the party’s primary election ballot.
The parties are not legally required to make a designation in each contest, but they are required to make a good faith effort to make a designation in each contest. This can matter in contests with more than two candidates vying for a party designation.
Should a candidate seek the designation of a party of which he or she is not a member, an authorization, or Wilson-Pakula, from the party is also required. Authorizations are made by majority vote of the body empowered to make them under the rules of the party. While nonparty candidates receiving a party’s designation will likely have no trouble receiving this authorization, nonparty candidates who only receive 25% of the party’s weighted vote may find it much harder to receive an authorization.
The state party designating conventions aren’t the only mechanisms for statewide candidates to receive a spot on a party’s primary election ballot. Candidates who do not receive a majority of or at least 25% of the weighted vote at a convention may also petition their way onto a primary ballot. While it is not impossible for a candidate to petition his or her way onto a primary ballot, receiving a spot on the ballot through the state party convention is a less costly and far simpler option for statewide candidates.
New York’s state party designating conventions continue to play an important role in Empire State politics. Candidates, campaign staffers, and consultants should understand the legal nuances and processes of these party meetings and seek advice from seasoned counsel before going into a contested convention vote.
