Shocking new poll has NY Rep. Stefanik beating Gov. Hochul by one point in hypothetical 2026 matchup
New York could have a Republican governor next year, a shocking new poll claims.The Manhattan Institute poll released Tuesday shows North Country Rep.Elise Stefanik (R-NY) narrowly beating Democratic Gov.
Kathy Hochul in a hypothetical 2026 matchup.The unpopular incumbent governor trails her firebrand GOP nemesis by 1%, according to the statewide survey conducted by the right-leaning think tank.It’s the latest in a series of polls showing Hochul’s controversial move to back socialist mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani hasn’t seemed to result in a boost in support.The Manhattan Institute survey found Stefanik getting 43% support, compared with 42% for Hochul – a statistical tie with the poll’s 3% margin of error.Nine percent of those surveyed said they would vote for “someone else” and 7% responded that they were “not sure.”The poll showed Stefanik — who has said she will officially declare her bid after the Nov.4 election — leading Hochul with those aged 50 and up and among critical independent voters, especially in the suburbs.Stefanik leads Hochul 46% to 33% among independents and 54% to 37% on Long Island, the poll found.But Hochul beat Stefanik in the Hudson Valley, 45% to 36%, according to the survey of 600 likely voters taken last week.Her campaign dismissed the findings because the poll was conducted by a right-leaning think tank.“You’ve got to hand it to Sellout Stefanik: when her own polls don’t reflect reality, she can count on Trump and his megadonors – like Betsy DeVos and Paul Singer – to repeat her lies,” Hochul spokesperson Sarafina Chitka said in a statement.“Unfortunately for her, New Yorkers aren’t interested in letting an unhinged Trump enabler anywhere near the Governor’s mansion.”But Stefanik’s team cheered the results, saying in a statement that “New Yorkers of all political parties are hungry for new commonsense leadership after decades of Hochul’s failed single party Democrat rule.”“In ...