According to the latest opinion poll, incumbent New York Governor Kathy Hochul, despite only 37% of voters wanting her re-elected and about half of New York voters hoping for a new governor, maintains a steady lead in the face of her main opponents in the 2026 governor’s election.
The latest poll released by the Siena College Research Institute shows that in hypothetical general election matchups, Hochul significantly outperforms her potential Republican opponents. In a match against Republican Congressman Elise Stefanik, Hochul leads by 49% to 30%; against Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who recently announced his candidacy, Hochul leads by a wide margin of 50% to 25%.
In terms of party support, Hochul has over 75% support within the Democratic Party, while Republican voters strongly support Stefanik and Blakeman as their candidates. Independent voters also tend to support Hochul, leading by about 10 percentage points over Blakeman in comparison, and about 7 percentage points over Stefanik.
Blakeman faces a challenge with low name recognition early in the campaign, with up to about 70% of surveyed voters stating they do not know him; in comparison, about 44% of voters are unfamiliar with Stefanik. However, Blakeman enjoys relatively stronger support in some suburban areas, which may give him a slight competitive advantage.
In the Democratic primary, Hochul also leads her main party opponent and current Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado by a wide margin, with the poll showing Hochul leading by 56% to 13%.
Furthermore, the poll also indicates a slight uptick in support for Hochul, with her favorability rating currently at 43%, higher than the 41% who do not like her, making her one of the few recipients of positive evaluations in 2025.