New York Gov. Kathy Hochul holds a strong 19-point lead over her Republican challenger, Bruce Blakeman, according to a new poll published by Quinnipiac University.
The survey of more than 1,000 likely New York voters, which was conducted between Sept. 17-20 and released on Wednesday, Sept. 23, reveals a 58-39% advantage for the Democratic incumbent.
"Four years after Kathy Hochul won the governor's race by single digits, she appears positioned, at the moment, to have a wider lane on the road to being reelected," says Quinnipiac University poll assistant director Mary Snow.
"Likely voters prefer her to be in Albany handling the cost of living and the economy, their top concerns, and that is putting her at a sizable advantage over Republican Bruce
Blakeman," Snow added.
Here's what to know about the poll results.
What the Quinnipiac poll shows about New York's governor's race
The support for each candidate is along party lines, with Democrats in favor of Hochul, 89-6%, and Republicans on Blakeman's side, 90-8%. As for independents, Hochul has a much narrower lead — 51-45%.
Hochul has a 46-43% favorability rating, and more voters approve of her job performance than disapprove. As for Blakeman, his favorability rating amounts to 30-36%, and 34% of voters surveyed for the Quinnipiac poll say they haven't heard enough about him.
The incumbent governor also leads the way in the top two issues voters say they're considering in their decision in who to vote for in November. Cost of living, the topic most important to voters, received 28% of the vote and the economy came in second with 21%.
Overall, voters say Hochul cares more about the needs and problems of people like them, has better leadership skills and is more honest than Blakeman.
The poll was released the same day as a Siena Research Institute poll had Hochul leading Blakeman by nine points — 50-41%.
How are other New York representatives faring?
Quinnipiac also asked voters their thoughts on several other New York representatives, including U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
According to the poll, more New Yorkers disapprove of the job Schumer is doing, 36-54%, and his favorability among voters stands at 34-51%. As for Gillibrand, voters approve of her actions, 41-33%. And Mamdani's favorability rating nears half of those surveyed, 46-36%.
Emily Barnes covers state government for the USA TODAY Network-New York with a focus on how policy and laws impact New Yorkers' taxes, communities and jobs. Follow her on Instagram or X @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Hochul holds 'sizable advantage' over Blakeman in new Quinnipiac poll
