Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul has opened up a 19-point lead over Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman, with the cost of living emerging as the dominant issue for voters less than six weeks before Election Day.
A Quinnipiac University poll gives Hochul the support of 58% of likely voters, compared with 39% for Blakeman. Three per cent have not selected a candidate.
The contest remains sharply divided along party lines. Hochul is backed by 89% of Democrats, while 90% of Republicans support Blakeman. Among independent voters, however, the governor leads by only six points, with 51% support to Blakeman’s 45%.
The survey, conducted between September 17 and 20 among 1,026 likely voters, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
Cost of living tops New York voters’ concerns
Twenty-eight per cent of those questioned said the cost of living was the most important issue in deciding how to vote, ahead of the economy on 21% and healthcare on 11%.
Hochul holds a substantial advantage among voters most concerned about household finances. She is supported by 66% of those who name the cost of living as their chief concern, compared with 30% for Blakeman. Among voters focused on the economy, Hochul leads by 64% to 34%.
The issue rankings differ by party. Cost of living is the leading concern for Democrats, at 35%, followed by the economy and healthcare. Republicans place cost of living first at 21%, followed closely by immigration at 20%, while taxes and crime also feature prominently. Independents put cost of living and the economy at the top of their list.
Quinnipiac poll assistant director Mary Snow said Hochul appeared to have a wider path to re-election than when she won the governorship by a single-digit margin four years ago, with voters preferring her to handle their biggest economic concerns.
Hochul’s personal ratings are narrowly positive, with 46% viewing her favourably and 43% unfavourably. Her job performance is approved by 48% of likely voters and disapproved by 44%.
Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, has a 30% favourable rating and a 36% unfavourable one, while 34% of voters say they have not heard enough about him to form an opinion.
