2 weeks Ago
Out of 834 respondents, 40% of Democrats want a different candidate. Among Republicans, that’s 85%, and it's 65% of independents. Only one-third of those surveyed indicated that they would vote for the sitting governor — a low percentage even in a historically safe state for Democrats with the election 23 months away.
“Hochul has not had a positive favorability rating since January of this year and she has never had 50% or more voters view her favorably,” said SCRI pollster Steven Greenberg. “And as we now enter the 2026 gubernatorial election cycle, Hochul starts with less than an enthusiastic welcome from the voters.” Hochul, who said over the summer that she’d run again, reached her lowest-ever approval rating (34%) in September of this year — a rate higher than Republican Donald Trump, albeit more voters still viewed him more unfavorably by a three-point margin.
In the new poll, she now holds a 39% approval rating. “Her job approval rating is also up, now near breakeven, 46-49%, up net seven points since the last poll in October,” Greenberg said. “The bad news is that both ratings remain stubbornly underwater.
” According to the poll, 51% of voters oppose Hochul's recently renewed push for congestion pricing in New York City, surcharges intended to prevent travelers from driving during rush hour. This includes pushback across partisan, ideological, racial and gender lines. Among less region-specific issues, voters meanwhile believe that the cost of living (43%), the migrant crisis (19%) and crime (15%) should be prioritized by elected officials in Albany next year.
Hochul in August pointed out that crime is down 6% from last year, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services and New York City police. That isn’t reflected in the Siena poll, where 54% say that crime has worsened. “Fifty-four percent also say the migrant influx has gotten worse, while 68% say the availability of affordable housing has gotten worse in the last year,” Greenburg said.
“And a whopping 76% of New Yorkers — three-quarters — say the cost of living has gotten worse.” All three issues have been placed on the governor’s docket since she was appointed in 2021 following the scandal-ridden exit from the governor’s office by Andrew Cuomo. Hochul was elected in the closest gubernatorial race of its kind against Republican Lee Zeldin in 2022.
Zeldin, recently tapped to serve as EPA administrator in the next Trump administration, holds a favorability rating of 28%. That’s down from 46% two years ago..
