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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul holds a commanding lead in this year’s gubernatorial race, outpacing Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman by more than 25 points among registered voters, according to a Siena Research Institute poll released Tuesday.
The poll found Hochul leading Blakeman 54% to 28%, a margin little changed from December, while she also maintains strong support among Democrats and improved favorability ratings statewide.
The Siena poll, conducted Jan. 26-28 among 802 registered voters, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.
“Ten months from election day, Blakeman – largely unknown to three in five New York voters – has his work cut out for him. Hochul’s 79-8% lead among Democrats is significantly better than Blakeman’s 69-15% lead with Republicans, and she leads 41-34% with independents, as well as in every region of the state,” said Siena pollster Steven Greenberg.
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Hochul is seeking re-election to a second full term and faces a primary challenge from Democratic Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado.
Blakeman is running on the Republican side with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, which he received after Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., withdrew from the race in December.
The primary election is scheduled for June 23.
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The Siena poll found Hochul’s job approval above 50% and showed her holding a wide lead over Delgado, with at least 60% support among Democrats in every region of the state, including 68% of self-described liberals and 65% of moderates.
Greenberg noted that while Hochul’s 49% favorability rating is modest, it represents a seven-point increase since December and marks the first time in four and a half years as governor that she has reached that level in a Siena poll.
Blakeman took aim at Hochul on Friday for introducing legislation that would prohibit local law enforcement from partnering with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on federal civil immigration enforcement.
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“Kathy Hochul is the most pro-criminal governor in the United States who has a callous disregard for the safety of our communities and victims of crime,” Blakeman said. “By banning local law enforcement partnerships with ICE, Hochul is allowing dangerous criminals to return to our neighborhoods. That ends when I’m Governor.”
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