Blakeman gains ground but remains well behind Hochul, poll shows

ALBANY — Republican Bruce Blakeman is cutting into Gov. Kathy Hochul's lead in the gubernatorial race and is now favored by independent voters, according to the latest poll from the Siena Research Institute.

While Hochul still leads, 47-34%, her lead slipped seven points since last month’s survey, which had her in front of Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, 51% to 31%.

The poll also found that nearly two-thirds of 804 registered voters surveyed want President Donald Trump to get Congressional approval to wage war.

The survey was taken March 23 to 26 and has a margin of error of 4.2%. 

Siena pollster Steven Greenberg noted that Hochul’s other numbers, including her favorability and job approval ratings, hadn’t fallen over the last month the way her lead over Blakeman did.

A small plurality of voters has a favorable view of her and a small majority approve of her job performance, according to the poll.

"While Hochul maintains very narrow leads upstate and in the downstate suburbs, her lead in New York City fell from 46 points, 63-17%, last month to 29 points, 54-25%, today," Greenberg said. "Is that movement or merely noise? Let’s see what happens next month after the budget and as the campaign unfolds."

A plurality of independent voters now favors Blakeman, 39-32%, with 23% saying they didn’t know or did not answer. Hochul previously had a five-point lead among independent voters.

Blakeman is still largely unknown to voters more than three months after he launched his campaign, with 64% saying they didn’t have an opinion of him, according to the Siena poll.

The poll also questioned voters on a number of national topics.

Voters, including 51% of Republicans, want Congress to authorize the president to wage war.

The question comes as the U.S. military operation in Iran stretches into its fourth week.

And President Donald Trump’s tariffs are still unpopular among New York voters, except for Republicans. The poll found 60% of all voters and 82% of Democrats oppose continuing Trump’s signature trade policy. Republican voters favor tariffs by a 40-point margin, 62-22%.

Voters did say they support requiring people show they are U.S. citizens when they register to vote and show photo identification when they vote. The poll found 54% in support and 36% opposed.