Widens Lead over Stefanik
By Hank Russell
A recent poll found that more New Yorkers have a favorable than an unfavorable rating for the first time in five months as more people looked favorably upon her, while fewer people saw her unfavorably.
The Siena Research Institute found that 45% had a favorable opinion of Hochul last month — up from 42% in August — while 42% held an unfavorable opinion, down from 44% in August. It is the first time since April (44%-43%) when her favorability rating exceeded her unfavorability rating. However, it is off from her January 2023 high of 48%.
“While a 45-42% favorability rating for a Democratic governor in a state where nearly half the voters are Democrats may not sound like a major accomplishment, in the case of Governor Hochul, it’s the first time her favorability rating has been positive since April, and it is her best favorability rating since January 2024,” Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said. “Additionally, her 54-40% job approval rating … is the best job approval rating Hochul has gotten from voters since it was 56-40% in February 2023.”
“Hochul gets strong marks from fellow Democrats — 61% view her favorably and 72% approve of the job she’s doing — and the opposite from Republicans, 71% view her unfavorably and 73% disapprove of the job she’s doing,” Greenber said. “Not surprisingly, independents are in the middle – a plurality, 48%, view her unfavorably and they are virtually evenly divided on her job approval rating, 47-46%.”
When asked who they would vote for governor if the election were held today, Hochul expanded her lead from the previous month. Fifty-two percent of those polled in September would vote for Hochul, while 27% said they would vote for her Republican opponent, U.S. Congressmember Elise Stefanik (R-Plattsburgh), and 3% would want someone else. Hochul led Stefanik 45%-31% in August, with 3% choosing someone else.
As for Stefanik’s ratings, she has a 21% favorable rating, down from 27% the previous month. Her unfavorable rating moved up from 32% to 34%. Forty-five said the didn’t know or have an opinion on her, up from 41%.
“Hochul now has the support of 75% of Democrats, up from 68% last month, and Stefanik’s support from Republicans fell to 68%, down from 75%,” Greenberg said. “Independent voters, who had been leaning toward Stefanik last month, are now with Hochul 43-25%.”
However, when asked who they would vote for in the upcoming election, 37% said they would re-elect Hochul, up from 35%, while 51% said they would vote for someone else, down from 53%.
Hochul’s job approval went up slightly to 54% in September from 53% in August. Forty percent disapproved of the job she is doing — a slight drop from 42% in August.
Lastly, more people are positive about the direction of New York State; 42% like where the state is heading, slightly up from 41%, while 41% said the state is going in the wrong direction, down from 45% the previous month.