A month ago, very few people even knew the name Lee Zeldin. Democrat incumbent Kathy Hochul had a large lead in polls, and everyone just assumed that she would be elected governor of New York.
As election day approaches, that is all changing quickly. According to a new poll, Zeldin actually has a slight lead over Hochul. Zeldin has been hammering her on the issue of crime, and it seems to be working.
The New York Post reports:
Lee Zeldin inches past Kathy Hochul in dead-heat governor’s race, stunning new poll revealsRepublican Rep. Lee Zeldin has edged past Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul by decimal points and the race for governor is now a dead heat, a stunning new poll released Friday reveals.The independent co/efficient survey of 1,056 likely voters shows Zeldin with 45.6% support and Hochul at 45.3% with the rest undecided.The margin of error for the survey is plus or minus 3.31 percentage points.Significantly, it’s the first poll showing Zeldin — who has run a campaign focusing on law and order amid a crime surge — running ahead or even with the Democrat governor.A poll released by the same group in early September had Hochul leading Zeldin, the Long Island congressman, by 6 points.“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 predominantly white and Hispanic registered Democrats defecting to support Zeldin, the Republican candidate,” co/efficient pollster Ryan Munce said.
Nick Arama of RedState provides a few more key details:
Zeldin also has a big advantage with independents — 47 percent to 38 percent — and voters not registered with either party — 59 percent to 28 percent. In a tight race, those are the folks who are likely to swing the race, another good sign for Zeldin.Another big danger sign for the Democrats in the poll? Zeldin is leading among Hispanic voters, 54 percent to 36 percent – a massive 18-point margin. Other polls are not showing that massive difference, but if even any of that is true, it’s bad news for Hochul.Finally, in rabid blue NYC, Hochul is only leading 53 percent to 36 percent.
Zeldin’s lead with independents could make all the difference. Zeldin also has the advantage of being the change candidate when many people want change.
This will be an important race to watch early on election night. If Zeldin closes the deal, it could be a sign of what’s coming in other places.
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