According to the Siena College poll, Gov. Hochul has a negative “39-47%” favorability rating, and her job approval rating sits at “44-48%.” This shows little change from December’s poll.
31% of voters said they would re-elect Hochul, while 57% want “someone else.”
Translated, Siena’s headline says it all: Hochul’s Favorability, Approval & Re-Elect Ratings Remain Underwater.
Her next opponent may not be former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), the 2022 gubernatorial candidate just sworn in as President Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency head appointee.
Nevertheless, anti-Hochul’s from jump street who backed Zeldin will happily back someone else who will give the citizens of New York more of what they want—which isn’t Hochul, per the numbers—and less of what has left them either indifferent or jaded.
By a 52-22% margin, voters posit that Hochul has not improved the fiscal condition in a state rife with economic issues under her watch.
“Governor Hochul’s favorability and job approval ratings continue to languish in negative territory,” said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg, who added that Hochul hasn’t had a positive favorability rating since Jan. 2024.
Hochul’s favorability rating has never once hit 50% in a state where 49% of voters are Democrats.
“The good news for the Governor is that 10 of her recent proposals are supported by voters, eight very strongly,” Greenberg said. “Four proposals have strong majority support from Democrats, Republicans and independents, and another four have majority support from all voters, and at least plurality support from Ds, Rs and Is.”
Greenberg says Hochul’s most strongly supported proposals are: providing free breakfast and lunch for all public school students, ensuring a police officer on all overnight subway trains for the next six months, increasing the child text credit, and requiring school districts to restrict smartphone usage.