New York Gov. Kathy Hochul maintains double digit leads over potential rivals U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in next year’s race for governor while slightly gaining in her own favorability rating, according to a Siena University poll of registered voters released Tuesday.

According to the poll, Hochul holds a 19-point lead over the North Country congresswoman and a 25-point lead over the Long Island lawmaker. Both Republican candidates have about the same amount of undecided voters.

“Closing out 2025 – six months from the primaries and 11 months till the general election – Hochul maintains a solid 19-point lead over Stefanik, with one in five voters being undecided, and currently has a larger 25-point lead over recent entrant Blakeman,” Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said. “Hochul has the support of more than three[1]quarters of Democrats against either Republican. Stefanik leads among Republicans 82-7%, while Blakeman’s lead is 73-7%. With independents, Hochul leads Blakeman by 10 points and Stefanik by seven points.”

Hochul also leads her Democratic opponent – Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado – by 43 points.

The sitting governor has a 43-41% favorability rating, a little better than November’s 43-45%. Her job approval rating is also four points better than last month, according to the poll.

“Hochul’s favorability rating tilts slightly favorable – only the third in positive territory this year – but she has still yet to crack 50% favorability in a state where 48% of the enrolled voters are Democrats,” Greenberg said. “At the same time, Stefanik is underwater among voters who are familiar enough to have an opinion about her but is still largely unknown to more than two in five voters. For Blakeman and Delgado, the need to become more known to voters becomes a pressing issue six months before the primaries, with each of them unfamiliar to more than two-thirds of all voters, and both of them unfamiliar to a majority of voters in their respective parties.”

In regards to some issues and expectations for the candidates — making life more affordable, keeping New Yorkers safe, and ensuring quality affordable health care, the poll found voters broke largely along party lines on who they think would be best to tackle those issues.

“On issues, voters have higher expectations for Hochul on ensuring access to healthcare and keeping New Yorkers safe. Voters don’t think either Hochul or Stefanik will succeed in making life more affordable,” Greenberg said. “Stefanik stands out with voters for being decisive, while she is either breakeven or in negative territory on the other characteristics. Hochul scores well with voters on being honest, decisive and empathetic, however, a plurality finds her to be not very or not at all inspiring.”

The issue of child care, funded by increasing taxes on New Yorkers who earn more than $1 million, is viewed differently, with two thirds of statewide voters supporting universal child care for infants through pre-K. Four out of five Democrats support it, independents support it two to one and a small majority of Republicans oppose it.

When it comes to the incoming New York City mayor, voters appear to be warming up to Zohran Mamdani at this time, according to the poll.

Mamdani has a 46-31% statewide favorability rating, which is up from 40-40% last month, and stands at 61-23% in New York City, up from 55-31% in November. By a 49-32% margin, voters statewide think his election will be good for New York City, which is up from 45-39% last month.

“Enjoy the honeymoon, Mayor-elect Mamdani. Two-thirds of Democrats across the state view him favorably. Independent voters are now leaning favorably by six points, while they were six points on the unfavorable side in November. And while he’s viewed favorably in New York City, 61-23%, voters outside the City, who were decidedly negative toward him last month, are now close to breakeven,” Greenberg said.

The poll said two-thirds of New York City voters say Mamdani’s election will be good for New York City, with two-thirds of Democrats saying his election is good and two-thirds of Republicans saying it is bad.

Voters of all political stripes still believe Mamdani and President Donald Trump will not work together to improve quality of life, the poll said.

Speaking of the sitting U.S. president, the poll found Trump has a 32-62% favorability rating among New York voters, down a little from November. Also down is his job approval rating, at 34-62%. A strong majority of voters believe Trump has gone too far in several areas of his political agenda.

“Between 58% and 65% of voters say Trump Administration actions – from deploying ICE agent in US cities, to increased tariffs, to prosecuting political enemies, and bombing boats off of Venezuela – have gone too far,” Greenberg said. “While Democrats and independents say he’s gone too far on all four, Republicans feel very differently.”

The Siena poll was conducted Dec. 8-12 among 801 registered voters in New York and has an overall margin of error of +/- 4.1 percentage points.