The Republican Party nominated Pierre "Pete" Rinfret, a former presidential advisor who became a millionaire in the financial sector.

While Rinfret was a relative moderate who supported abortion rights,[1] London was known as a staunch social and fiscal conservative.

[2] Cuomo won with an absolute majority of the vote, meaning that Rinfret and London's combined performance would not have been enough for a unified right flank to win.

Cuomo waited until June 1990 to officially announce his intention to run for a third term as governor, just 24 hours before the Democratic Party nominating convention.

[3] Nominee Political commentators noted that Lieutenant Governor Stan Lundine was active on the 1990 campaign trail in a way he had not been four years prior.