Brief
Hochul’s lead narrows to four points in GOP‑internal poll
A GOP‑commissioned survey puts Hochul’s advantage at just over four points ahead of the Republican challenger.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s margin over Republican Bruce Blakeman in the New York gubernatorial race has tightened to about four points, according to an internal poll obtained by the New York Post. The survey, conducted by On Message Inc. for attorney‑general candidate Saritha Komatireddy’s campaign, shows Blakeman trailing Hochul 45.9% to 50.3% among 1,000 likely voters.
The poll also recorded Democratic Attorney General Letitia James ahead of Komatireddy by six points, 50.7% to 44.7%. Regionally, the poll gave Blakeman a 56%‑42% advantage in the Buffalo area, a 52%‑44% edge in the Albany region, and a 62%‑33% lead in other rural parts of the state. Hochul retained her strongest lead in the New York City media market, 54.2% to 41.9%.
Hochul, who is seeking a second term on Nov. 3, held a press conference on Oct. 20 announcing a joint investigation by the New York State Police and the Department of Financial Services that led to 16 arrests in an auto‑insurance fraud probe. The same day, she and Blakeman debated at the Spectrum News NY1 studios in Manhattan.
Republican campaign strategist O. B. Murray, who worked on former Gov. George Pataki’s 1994 campaign, said the race is “very competitive” and noted that Hochul’s six‑point win in 2022 was narrower than expected. Murray added that “anything can happen” in the current contest.
The poll’s findings align with Blakeman’s own campaign polling from the previous month, which also showed him trailing Hochul by four points, and with a recent Pollfinity survey that placed Hochul ahead by a similar margin.
Key facts
- Internal GOP poll shows Hochul at 50.3% and Blakeman at 45.9%, a 4.4‑point lead. (nypost.com)
- Letitia James leads Saritha Komatireddy 50.7% to 44.7% in the same poll. (nypost.com)
- Blakeman leads in Buffalo (56%‑42%), Albany (52%‑44%) and rural areas (62%‑33%). (nypost.com)
- Hochul’s strongest lead is in NYC media market, 54.2%‑41.9%. (nypost.com)
- Joint NY State Police and DFS investigation resulted in 16 arrests on Oct. 20. (nypost.com)
Sources
- [1] nypost.com — originally reported as “Exclusive | Hochul leads Blakeman by only 4 points in NY governor’s race, GOP internal poll claims”
