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As New York Gov. Kathy Hochul gets ready for her first full term in office, a new poll suggests that the electorate may be skeptical of her ability to deliver on her promises.
Siena College released a poll Tuesday that shows New York voters did not feel Hochul made progress on several of the major issues she laid out in her State of the State address at the beginning of this year. Fifty eight percent of those polled said she did not make communities safer from crime — which her Republican opponent, Lee Zeldin, made a major issue in his tight race against her.
The poll marks the first look at Hochul’s approval ratings after Election Day, when the Democratic incumbent edged out Zeldin by less than 6 points in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans two to one.
Fifty-one percent of those polled said Hochul did not make progress on enhancing trust in government, while 55% said she did not help make New York a place where people “want to live, not leave,” according to the poll.
At the same time, 45% of those polled said they have a favorable view of Hochul, compared to 43% unfavorable, which is within the poll’s margin of error.
“Hochul’s job approval and favorability ratings are above water, barely, although they edged down slightly since before Election Day, and her 43% unfavorable rating is a new high,” Siena pollster Steve Greenberg said in a statement.
The poll also comes as Hochul is gearing up for two major addresses in the coming month: Her inaugural on Jan. 1, when she will become the first woman ever sworn in for a full term, and her State of the State speech on Jan. 10, when she will lay out her agenda for the coming year.
She wasn’t the only Democrat with a split approval rating in the new poll.
A total of 48% of voters in New York said they have a favorable view of President Joe Biden, compared to 46% unfavorable. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer fared a bit better, with 49% favorable compared to 40% unfavorable, while U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand had a 44-27% favorable rating with 31% having no opinion, according to the poll.
Siena polled 816 registered voters from Dec. 4 through 7, according to the college. Of those, 503 were contacted by phone and 313 came from an online panel.
The poll has a margin of error of 4.1%, according to Siena.
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