New York Governor Kathy Hochul Leads in 2026 Polls
A recent poll indicates that New York’s Democratic Governor, Kathy Hochul, is currently ahead of all her prospective Republican challengers for the upcoming gubernatorial election in 2026. Hochul, aiming for a second term as she enters her fourth year in office, is advocating for a new survey from Siena College to measure public sentiment in the state.
Interestingly, a significant number of voters—more than half—express a desire for a different governor instead of Hochul, based on findings from a poll conducted between June 23-26.
Among the three major Republicans eyeing the nomination to contest Hochul is Representative Elise Stefanik. It’s worth considering whether she, or any of the others, can break the two-year winning streak the GOP has maintained in this influential state.
Since taking office in August 2021, Hochul became New York’s first female governor following the resignation of Andrew Cuomo amid various controversies. In her previous election, she narrowly defeated Republican Lee Zeldin in 2022, a victory that marked the closest a Republican has come to winning the governorship in New York since George Pataki’s 2002 re-election.
Hochul announced her intention to run again in 2026, but polls reveal that many New Yorkers are not particularly enthusiastic about her leadership.
Challenges Ahead for Hochul
The survey shows a notable skepticism among the electorate: half of the participants believe New York is going in the wrong direction. Only 37% feel the state is on the right track. This has shifted since the Siena poll in May, which reported a much closer margin between those who thought the state was doing well versus those who disagreed.
Hochul’s approval ratings currently sit at 42% to 47%, falling below favorable levels. In terms of re-election prospects, only 37% of respondents expressed intent to vote for her again, while 55% preferred an alternative candidate. This marks a shift from previous polling in May.
In a general election matchup, Hochul polled at 47% against Stefanik’s 24%. Furthermore, she also leads GOP representatives Mike Lawler and Bruce Blakeman with rates of 44%-24% and 44%-19%, respectively. However, political analysts caution that despite appearing to have a solid lead, Hochul hasn’t achieved the crucial 51% threshold against any of these opponents, with a significant portion of voters still undecided.
The Republican Landscape
In the Republican primary, Stefanik currently has a 35% favorability rating, followed by Lawler at 18% and Blakeman at 7%. Recently, Hochul’s lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, has emerged as a notable challenger for the Democratic nomination, alongside Representative Richie Torres, who is contemplating a run. Nevertheless, early polling suggests that Hochul dominates both figures, holding 49% against Delgado’s 12% and Torres’s 10%.
Interestingly, Torres recently announced that he would not run if democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani wins the upcoming mayoral primary in New York City.
Mamdani, a 33-year-old state legislator from Queens originally from Uganda, has garnered attention recently, notably for making strides to become the first Muslim mayor of one of the country’s most populous cities.
