US Rep. Lee Zeldin May Show Gov. Hochul a Good Fight in the Governor’s Race

By Yehudit Garmaise

Gov. Kathy Hochul holds only a slim 4% lead, a new survey reveals, over US Rep Lee Zeldin (R-Long Island) in the race for the New York’s next governor, who will be elected on Nov. 8.

The Republican consulting firm Big Dog Strategies conducted its research from March 28 to 30, by polling 830 likely voters: 35% of whom said they supported Gov. Hochul, while 31% supported Zeldin, and 33% of respondents said they remained undecided.

With Zeldin closely trailing behind Hochul, who is thought to be a popular and well-liked governor, in New York City and its suburbs by 35% to 30%, Chris Grant, the owner of the Republican consulting firm that conducted the survey told the New York Post that the governor has reason to be worried about the Long Island congressman.

“Hochul is underperforming in areas where she needs to do well,” said Grant, who also claimed that the poll’s results “show that Long Island is moving back into Republican hands.”

Upstate, in the Syracuse region, Zeldin led Hochul by more than 35 percentage points.

In other parts of the state, however, Hochul remains quite popular, such as in her hometown Buffalo region, where the governor led Zeldin by 60% to 19%.

In general women tend to favor Hochul over Zeldin by nine points, while men more evenly split their support between the two candidates.

Before Hochul takes on Zeldin, she has to beat NYC Public Advocate Jumanne Williams and Long Island Rep. Tom Suozzi in the Democratic primary this summer.

For his part, Zeldin has to beat former Westchester Country Executive Rob Astorino Andrew Giuiliani, who served as an advisor to former president Donald Trump, and businessman Harry Wilson.

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