A recently released poll conducted by the independent Co/Efficient survey group shows that Republican challenger Lee Zeldin has narrowly passed incumbent Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul in deep-blue New York State.
The stunning poll, released just weeks prior to election day, shows the possibility of a ‘Red Wave election’ even in a far-Left stronghold like New York.
The poll, conducted among 1,056 likely New York state voters, shows Lee Zeldin with a 45.6 percent to 45.3 percent lead, although over 9 percent remain undecided.
“With a little under three weeks to go, we still expect to see measurable movement in the statewide electorate, and if this trend continues, New York could have its first Republican Governor since 2006,” Co/Efficient pollster Ryan Munce said.
The Zeldin campaign has focused on the issue of rising crime in the state, which has skyrocketed over the past five years, and that strategy appears to be winning over Democrats at an alarming rate.
“The race has been tightening over the last few weeks, and it appears that it is now a dead heat. The shift has been led by White and Hispanic registered Democrats defecting to support Zeldin,” Munce continued.
The polling showed that Zeldin led by a 14-point margin in his home territory of Long Island, 56 percent to 42 percent, and he was also ahead in the Hudson Valley by 19 points, and in the Albany region by 11 points.
Hochul’s lead in New York City is just 53 percent to 36, a massive disappointment for the Democrats. Zeldin’s advisors have estimated that he needs 30 percent of the city’s hardcore left-wing vote to win the race.
“The stakes couldn’t be higher and the polls couldn’t be closer,” Zeldin recently said. “We need every single New Yorker who is sick and tired of the attacks on our wallets, safety, kid’s education, and more to come out to vote, and save our state.”
Zeldin’s strong showing in New York is just one of many signs that America is pointing to a red wave election in November. Even in Oregon, another left-leaning state, Republican Christine Drazan has taken the lead for the governorship.
In critical Senate races, Republicans Dr. Mehmet Oz and Blake Masters are also surging.
