Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s lead over Republican New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin shrunk significantly in a Tuesday poll from Siena College and The New York Times.
Hochul was favored by 52% of respondents while Zeldin, a Republican congressman, was favored by 41%, the poll found; a similar Siena poll from September found Hochul at 52% and Zeldin at 37%. Zeldin’s rising popularity comes amid a series of polls predicting strong performance for Republicans in the coming midterms as voters focus on inflation and the economy.
New York Times / Siena College National Survey:
71% say: American Democracy is Currently Under Threathttps://t.co/bkLofRkIZF pic.twitter.com/EOcVxHKfFO— SienaResearch (@SienaResearch) October 18, 2022
“While Democrats are bullish on the direction of the state, Republicans overwhelmingly, and independents by a wide margin are not,” Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said in a press release. “That works to Zeldin’s advantage, as does the fact that the issues most important to voters – at least as of three weeks ago – play more into the messaging of the Zeldin campaign rather than the Hochul campaign.” (RELATED: Dems Go All In On Abortion Despite Warnings From Polls)
“That said, Zeldin must still overcome a wide enrollment disadvantage, and must attract more than 10% of Democrats and 49% of independents to be successful in New York. Hochul maintains a double-digit lead and simply needs Democrats to vote. Simple in theory,” he said. “Three weeks to go.”
Zeldin has focused on crime and public safety issues and on the economy, pointing to high prices under the leadership of President Joe Biden.
No Republican has won a statewide race in New York since 2002, according to The New York Times.
The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points and was conducted from October 12-14, sampling 707 likely voters.
Hochul and Zeldin did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.
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