Hochul earning some approval points
LOUDONVILLE—New Yorkers remain concerned about the direction of both the state and the country, with more than half of likely voters saying the state is on the wrong track, according to a new Siena College poll.
While 51% of voters feel New York is moving in the wrong direction, this marks a slight improvement from last month’s 55% discontent. Nationally, the outlook is more pessimistic, with 61% of New Yorkers believing the country is off course, a slight increase in negativity from September’s 59%.
“More than 8 in 10 Republicans continue to say that both the state and country are headed in the wrong direction, as do strong majorities of independents, said Steven Greenberg, pollster and spokesperson for the Siena College Research Institute
Governor Kathy Hochul has seen a modest improvement in her ratings, though they remain in negative territory. Her favorability stands at 36-51%, up slightly from last month’s 34-54%, while her job approval has risen to 41-51%, compared to 39-56% in September.
Support for Hochul is strongest among Democrats, with 53% viewing her favorably, but 84% of Republicans and 56% of independents continue to hold an unfavorable view.
“The good news for Hochul is that both her favorability and job approval ratings are up a little. The bad news is that they’re up from all-time lows and have a ways to go before reaching positive territory,” Greenberg added.
Meanwhile, New Yorkers show robust and growing support for a proposed Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the state constitution, with 69% in favor and 22% opposed. This represents an increase from last month’s 64-23% margin. The amendment has especially strong support among Democrats, at 89%, and independents, at 62%, while Republicans are evenly split with 50% opposing.
“Regionally, it’s supported by 57% of upstate voters, 69% of downstate suburban voters and 84% of New York City voters,” Greenberg said. “More than three-quarters of women support the amendment, as do 58% of men.”
Harris expands lead
In the upcoming presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris has extended her lead over former President Donald Trump, now leading by 19 points among New York voters, up from 13 points last month. Harris’s support has grown to 58% compared to Trump’s 39%, with a narrower 54-37% lead in a multi-candidate scenario. Greenberg noted a widening gender divide, saying, “The gender gap is also widening, with men supporting Trump 54-43%, up a little from 52-46% last month, and women overwhelmingly supporting Harris, 71-25%, up from 64-32% in September.”
On critical issues, New Yorkers largely favor Harris’s positions. She leads Trump by 33 points on abortion (64-31%) and 20 points on democracy (58-38%), while holding a smaller advantage on economic and immigration issues. “New Yorkers continue to trust Harris more than Trump to do a better job on four key issues – two, abortion and democracy, by 33 points and 20 points, respectively,” Greenberg said.
Voter preferences and optimism
Democrats also hold an edge over Republicans for Congress, with 54% of voters indicating a preference for Democratic candidates. President Joe Biden’s favorability has improved to a balanced 48-48%, up from last month’s 45-51%, with his job approval also seeing a slight uptick to 50-49%. Additionally, 75% of voters say the 2024 election is the most important of their lifetimes, with high engagement across party lines.
Despite the concerns surrounding national direction, a majority of New Yorkers, 52%, remain cautiously optimistic about the country’s future in light of the candidates and campaign issues, though independents are slightly more pessimistic at 47-44%.
