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1994 New York Attorney General election
The 1994 New York Attorney General election took place on November 8, 1994. Republican nominee Dennis Vacco narrowly defeated Democratic nominee Karen Burstein. As of 2026, this is the last time a Republican was elected Attorney General of New York.
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The 1994 New York Attorney General election took place on November 8, 1994. Republican nominee Dennis Vacco narrowly defeated Democratic nominee Karen Burstein. As of 2026, this is the last time a Republican was elected Attorney General of New York.
Attorney General Robert Abrams ran for United States Senate in 1992 but narrowly lost to incumbent Republican Al D'Amato. Abrams announced his resignation from the office of attorney general on September 8, 1993, to take effect on December 31.
The New York State Legislature appointed G. Oliver Koppel, an Assemblyman from the Bronx, to fill the office of Attorney General until a successor was elected at the regularly scheduled 1994 election.
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Karen Burstein, New York Family Court judge and former State Senator from Mineola
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Charles J. Hynes, former Kings County District Attorney
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G. Oliver Koppel, incumbent Attorney General and former State Assemblyman from the Bronx
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Eliot Spitzer, former Manhattan prosecutor
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Karen Burstein, New York Family Court judge and former State Senator from Mineola (Democratic and Liberal)
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Daniel Conti (Libertarian)
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James Hartman (Independence)
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Nancy Rosenstock (Socialist Workers)
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Alfred Skidmore (Right to Life)
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Dennis Vacco, former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York (Republican and Conservative)
In the final month of the campaign, Staten Island Borough President Guy Molinari publicly remarked that Burstein would be unqualified for office because she was a lesbian.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | 1,988,567 | 42.71% | ||
| Conservative | 305,961 | 6.57% | ||
| Total | Dennis Vacco | 2,294,528 | 49.28% | |
| Democratic | 2,097,083 | 45.04% | ||
| Liberal | 109,105 | 2.34% | ||
| Total | Karen Burstein | 2,206,188 | 47.38% | |
| Right to Life | 85,649 | 1.84% | ||
| Independence | 37,500 | 0.81% | ||
| Libertarian | 19,202 | 0.41% | ||
| Socialist Workers | 13,416 | 0.29% | ||
| 88,340 | 1.9% | |||
| 4,656,483 | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic |
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| Preceded by1990 | New York Attorney General election1994 | Succeeded by1998 |
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