Zeldin gaining ground on Hochul in ‘competitive’ N.Y. governor’s race: Quinnipiac, Siena polls
ALBANY — A pair of new polls show Gov. Hochul’s lead over Lee Zeldin in the New York governor’s race narrowing as Election Day nears and crime remains voters’ biggest concern.
The incumbent Democrat’s once comfortable buffer over her Republican challenger fell to just 11 points, down from 17% last month, according to a new Siena College poll released on Tuesday.
A second poll put out by Quinnipiac University shows an even slimmer margin separating the pair, with Hochul holding a razor-thin four-point edge over the conservative congressman from Long Island.
“In the blue state of New York, the race for governor is competitive,” Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Mary Snow. “Democrats have cruised to victory in gubernatorial races since 2006, but Gov. Hochul’s narrow edge puts Republican Lee Zeldin well within striking distance of her.”
Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y. (right) and Republican Lt. Gov. candidate Alison Esposito (right) hold a press conference at Lexington Ave. and 59th St. in Manhattan, New York on Friday, Sept, 16, 2022. (Barry Williams/)
Both polls show Zeldin gaining ground in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-to-1 and a GOP candidate has not won statewide office in two decades.
Hochul drew 52% of likely voters, while Zeldin received 41% of support from respondents in the Siena poll. Last month, the split between the candidates was 54-37% in Hochul’s favor.
The Quinnipiac poll found 50% of likely voters in Hochul’s corner and 46% support Zeldin as the Nov. 8 general election approaches.
Zeldin appears to have gained ground in the suburbs surrounding the Big Apple since September and the pair are in a statistical dead heat upstate in both polls.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul is pictured during a press conference in Manhattan, New York on Sept. 19, 2022. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/)
The governor remains the frontrunner in the five boroughs, but Zeldin garnered 37% among likely voters in the city, according to Quinnipiac.
Among issues impacting the election, crime is foremost on voters’ minds.
Roughly 28% of New Yorkers believe crime is the most urgent issue facing the state, the Quinnipiac poll found. Inflation came in second at 20%.
Zeldin has vowed to roll back the state’s cashless bail system and wants to dismantle other criminal justice reforms that prevent teens from being charged as adults and force prosecutors to hand over evidence in a timely manner.
“We’ve consistently been gaining massive ground on Hochul as New Yorkers witness first hand her abysmal record on the issues most important to them - crime, the economy, corruption and more,” Zeldin said in a statement. “Every day, all day, we’ve been ALL IN, all across the state, communicating directly with voters about the issues that matter most to them.”
Asked about the poll numbers, Hochul said she remains focused on “public safety as well as affordability, helping people deal with the challenges they have today.”
“I’m a sports fan — everybody knows that,” the governor said following a bill signing event in East Harlem. “I always run with that underdog mentality.”
The Buffalo native is seeking a full term in office after replacing disgraced former governor Andrew Cuomo last year following his resignation in the wake of sexual harassment allegations.
Hochul, hoping to become the first woman elected governor in New York, and her campaign have painted Zeldin as too extreme to lead the state and centered their attacks against him on his ties to former president Donald Trump.
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In a statement, a Hochul campaign spokesman stressed Zeldin’s links to Trump and noted Hochul is still in the lead despite a flood of outside money.
”Despite $8 million in outside spending from right-wing groups pushing baseless lies, Gov. Hochul maintains a double-digit lead against her opponent,” campaign spokesperson Jerrel Harvey said. “With just three weeks until Election Day, the governor isn’t taking anything for granted and will continue to contrast her strong record of results with Lee Zeldin’s MAGA agenda.”
Meanwhile, Zeldin spoke outside a subway station in Jackson Heights, Queens, where a man died a day earlier after being struck by a train following a fight on the platform.
The congressman has made frequent appearances near crime scenes in the city in an attempt to highlight his plans to declare a “crime emergency.”
He said despite his low poll numbers in the city, that he will continue to focus on the five boroughs as he campaigns across the state in the coming weeks.
“I find myself in the city almost every day,” he said. “I believe it’s very important to talk to everybody. I’ll meet with anybody. I’ll go to any community.”
