ALBANY – Republican Bruce Blakeman gained 6 percentage points on Gov. Kathy Hochul in one month – and is in striking distance in the crucial New York City suburbs, a new poll found.
Blakeman is consolidating Republican support and making up ground on the incumbent outside of the state’s urban centers though Hochul still leads 51%-31% in a head-to-head matchup with 18% still undecided, according to the Siena University poll released Wednesday.
Hochul had been ahead of Blakeman 54%-28% in Siena’s last poll, conducted in late January before the Republican had even officially received his party’s nomination.
The latest Siena University poll has likely GOP nominee for Governor Bruce Blakeman 20 points behind incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. Dennis A. Clark for NY Post
“What was a 25-point lead in December and a 26-point lead in January is now a 20-point lead, largely due to Republicans coming home to Blakeman,” Siena poll spokesperson Steve Greenberg said.
And Blakeman, who serves as Nassau County executive, has already largely wiped out Hochul’s 14-percentage-point lead in the burbs – whittling it down to just 2-percentage points since January, the poll found. That margin is within the poll’s 4-percentage point margin of error.
Siena defines the suburbs as Blakeman’s home turf in Long Island as well as downstate counties Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Orange. Blakeman was also in hot pursuit of Hochul in the upstate region, where Hochul led 42%-37%, according to the poll.
The poll also found about half of those surveyed support city Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s calls for Albany to hike income taxes on Big Apple residents making more than $1 million.
The survey from Siena University shows that 54% of New Yorkers statewide, and 62% of New York City residents back the “Tax the Rich” proposal being trumpeted by Hizzoner, while just 21% oppose when offered the alternative of a city property tax hike.
Gov. Kathy Hochul posted a positive net favorability rating for the third month in a row, the first time she’s done so since February 2023. Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Post
Another 11% have mixed thoughts and 5% don’t know, according to the poll.
Voters in the burbs and upstate had more tepid support for the tax hike — with half of the suburban vote and 48% of the upstate vote in favor, and with 32% and 35% against, respectively.
“As we enter budget month for the state, neither Hochul nor either house of the Legislature has indicated public support for Mamdani’s request to allow New York City to raise personal income taxes on City residents earning at least $1 million,” Greenberg said, adding, “Yet, the public is on Mamdani’s side.”
“While Republicans disagree, voters overall prefer New York City raise income taxes on its millionaires, rather than raise property taxes on all New York City property owners, Mamdani’s stated position,” Greenberg said, noting the more than 70% of support from state Dems.
Overall, 54% of the 805 registered voters, who were surveyed between Feb. 23-26, believe personal income taxes should be increased on the highest earners, and 29% say the state legislature should shoot down the proposal.
Notably, the respondents had to pick between raising taxes on property owners or the state’s higher earners.
The survey showed another month of positive net favorability ratings for Hochul. Siena’s respondents rated her 46% favorable and 42% unfavorable when polled late last month.