Lee Zeldin emerges in the lead against NY Gov. Kathy Hochul in new poll

Zeldin outperformed Hochul at the recent debate, in which the incumbent Democrat questioned why Zeldin or anyone else would even care about crime – a sticking point for many New Yorkers who are heading to the polls later this month. 

Lee Zeldin emerges in the lead against NY Gov. Kathy Hochul in new poll
AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez
Remove Ads

Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin has emerged in the lead against Democrat Kathy Hochul in the New York governor’s race.

In a new poll by Trafalgar Group from October 27-31, around 1,200 respondents showed that Zeldin holds a small lead against Hochul in a race that is poised to reshape the politics of New York state should Zeldin, a dark horse candidate, win. 

Zeldin outperformed Hochul at the recent debate, in which the incumbent Democrat questioned why Zeldin or anyone else would even care about crime – a sticking point for many New Yorkers who are heading to the polls later this month. 

Hochul, who has been a staunch proponent of vaccine mandates and who locked down the city during the pandemic, has proven unpopular with voters – including Democrats for her soft-on-crime approach. 

In August, Hochul replaced the word “inmate” with “incarcerated individual” to “reduce the stigma against incarcerated people by correcting outdated terminology.” 

In July, an investigative report by the Times Union revealed that Kathy Hochul's campaign received $300,000 from a family that reaped more than half a billion dollars in New York state funds for COVID-19 tests.

In the new Trafalgar poll, Zeldin leads Hochul, 48.4%-47.6%, with 4% of voters undecided. Democrats make up over half the sample, outnumbering Republicans nearly two-to-one at 53.6%-27.5%. Independents make up 18.9% of the vote – figures that track with Pew Research’s state demographics.

The positive numbers for Zeldin indicate that his policies are favoring heavily with Democrats who typically vote along party lines. 

Zeldin has received the endorsement of numerous community leaders, including three prominent rabbinim, Elya Ber Wachtfogel, Refoel Schorr, and Chaim Flohr, who urged their communities to vote for him.

He also received the endorsement of the Flatbush Jewish Community Coalition, which represents over 200 Jewish synagogues and seminaries in the area – a significant endorsement for a demographic of voters that has historically skewed Democrat. 

Remove Ads
Remove Ads

Don't Get Censored

Big Tech is censoring us. Sign up so we can always stay in touch.

Remove Ads