Hochul Leads in Gubernatorial Race
New York Governor Kathy Hochul is significantly ahead in the gubernatorial race, outperforming Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman by over 25 points among registered voters, according to a Siena Institute poll released on Tuesday.
The poll shows Hochul leading Blakeman 54% to 28%, a statistic that has remained relatively stable since December. She enjoys solid backing from Democrats, and her statewide favorability rating has seen an improvement.
Conducted from January 26 to 28 among 802 registered voters, the Siena poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.
Stephen Greenberg, a Siena pollster, noted, “Ten months before Election Day, Blakeman, who is not well known to about 60% of New York voters, has a challenging road ahead. Hochul holds a substantial 79-8% lead among Democrats, compared to Blakeman’s 69-15% lead among Republicans, plus a 41-34% advantage among independents across the state.”
Hochul’s Political Landscape
Hochul is aiming for re-election and faces a challenge from Democratic Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado.
On the Republican side, Blakeman is campaigning with the endorsement of former President Donald Trump following Rep. Elise Stefanik’s exit from the race in December.
The primary election is set for June 23rd.
Concerns Over Tax Hikes
The Siena poll indicates that Hochul’s job approval rating is above 50%, with over 60% support from Democrats in every region. It’s interesting to note that she has the backing of 68% of self-identified liberals and 65% of moderates.
Greenberg mentioned that Hochul’s favorability rating, while modest at 49%, has increased by 7 points since December—marking a new high in her four and a half years as governor.
Blakeman recently accused Hochul of promoting a bill aimed at limiting partnerships between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regarding civilian immigration enforcement.
“Cathy Hochul is the most pro-crime governor in America, showing a troubling disregard for community safety and crime victims,” Blakeman asserted. “Preventing local law enforcement from collaborating with ICE endangers our neighborhoods. That will not happen under my administration.”
