Big Blue State Governor Race Takes a Sharp Turn – Now Zeldin vs. Hochul Has Quickly Become a “Toss-Up” in New York
With midterm voting just weeks away, we’re starting to see a growing “red” trend in the polls.
Republicans appear to be surging in the midst of increased economic concerns, and some historically blue states might actually get GOP governors for the first time in decades.
This includes a Democrat stronghold on the east coast — and few thought the state could possibly flip this year.
After disgraced Gov. Andrew Cuomo was forced to step down in New York, another Democrat – Kathy Hochul – took his place. And for the most part, her approval rating has been decent in 2022.
Just a few months ago, Hochul was projected to easily beat Republican challenger Lee Zeldin. Most polls showed Hochul with a significant lead; some even indicated she held over a 20-point advantage.
However, it seems there’s been a drastic change in the NY voter mindset.
According to a RealClearPolitics poll, the race for Governor has become a lot tighter. While Hochul certainly still leads, her giant lead has shrunk by a lot (via The Daily Wire):
Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) has closed the gap in the polls on Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul in recent weeks, and the New York governor’s race was moved to a ‘toss-up’ Saturday.
This comes only a week after the race was moved from “likely Democratic” to “leans Democratic.”
One poll suggested Hochul held a 24–point lead in August, but that lead quickly started to fall in September. And now, deep blue New York might be facing a surprise shift in political ideology.
Zeldin applauded the news and tweeted:
🚨Our race was just moved to TOSS UP by @RealClearNews! We have just 24 days to go until we FIRE @KathyHochul & save our state. It’s not too late for Hochul to come out of hiding & do multiple debates with me across New York, starting immediately! pic.twitter.com/eYrm1TUYnD
— Lee Zeldin (@leezeldin) October 15, 2022
This isn’t the only example of changing political winds in New York: a few weeks ago, we learned a GOP candidate in one of the state’s congressional districts had taken a 5-point lead.
And with both Oregon and New York’s gubernatorial races now officially listed as “toss-ups,” it appears the biggest leftist strongholds in the country are shaken.
Hochul’s numbers might be suffering due to skyrocketing crime in her state, and Trafalgar Group chief pollster Robert Cahaly said this is the biggest issue for New York voters.
Currently, crime and the economy are topping the priority lists for voters across the country, which is bad news for the controlling party. We’re seeing the same issues affecting Congress and Senate races.
The only problem is that Hochul and Zeldin may not debate — Hochul hasn’t agreed to more than one, and Zeldin won’t debate at all if his opponent won’t commit to more than one.
That means voters will have to rely on the news and social media to get all their information, which may or may not cause the race to swing Hochul’s way.
Key Takeaways:
- The race for Governor in New York has been moved to “toss-up” status.
- Democrat Kathy Hochul had as much as a 24-point lead, but that advantage has evaporated in recent months.
- Rising crime and poor economic outlooks have hampered Democrats in polling across the country.