NY Governor Race Tightens: Siena pollster breaks down Hochul vs. Blakeman
A new Siena College poll shows the New York governor’s race narrowing to single digits. Incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul leads Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman 50% to 41%. Siena pollster Steve Greenberg analyzes the new polling data and break down key issues driving voter behavior in 2026.
NEW YORK – Nassau County Executive and Republican nominee Bruce Blakeman has a very different approach to education than New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
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Here’s a breakdown of where and how they differ.
Hochul’s initiatives on bolstering education
What they’re saying:
One of the governor’s major education initiatives is one that she has taken on with Mayor Zohran Mamdani â instituting a new 2-K program for the city.
Mamdani and Hochul announced the city’s first phase of their broader universal child care plan in March, announcing free child care for 2-year-olds in these neighborhoods:
Washington Heights and InwoodEast Brooklyn, including Canarsie, Brownsville and Ocean HillFordham and KingsbridgeOzone Park and the Rockaways
By the numbers:
Hochul pledged $73 million of state funding to back the program, but the investment could grow to $425 million as it expands to more parts of the city in 2027.
The governor also established a “bell-to-bell” cellphone ban for state schools, which went into effect at the start of the 2025 school year.
She also touts on her campaign website that her Universal Free School Meals program provides nearly 3 million children with free breakfast and lunch.
Blakeman’s push to get âback to basicsâ
The other side:
In contrast to the governor’s more progressive approach to education, Blakeman is calling for a return to “the basics.”
“We are failing our kids right now⦔ the Republican nominee says in the video above, explaining that he believes education “shouldn’t be biased or with a point of view.”
Blakeman has also gone after Mamdani’s approach to education, explicitly calling out the mayor’s proposal to phase out the Gifted and Talented program in city elementary schools.
The Source: This article includes information from several government official websites, both candidates’ campaign websites and interviews conducted by FOX 5 NY reporters.