Elise Stefanik, the GOP contender for the governorship of New York, has recently gained traction among independent voters in her race against the incumbent Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul.
This development comes in the wake of a new poll conducted by Siena, which reflects a shift in voter sentiment since Stefanik declared her candidacy following the November elections.
According to The Post Millennial, Siena pollster Steven Greenberg provided insights into the polling data, stating, In the race against Stefanik, Hochul continues to run very strongly with Democrats, 78-9%, however, Stefanik has now widened her lead among Republicans, 79-11%, up from 68-15% in September, and significantly narrowed the gap among independents, with whom Hochul now leads 40-36%, down from 43-25% in September."
Despite Hochul's overall lead of 52 to 32 percent in a general election scenario, Stefanik's campaign remains optimistic, buoyed by recent polls indicating a closer contest.
Alex DeGrasse, Stefanik's chief strategist, criticized the Siena poll, labeling it as a "false and biased poll that the Far Left media laps up while ignoring multiple independent polls showing this race within the margin of error once you properly account for likely voters and proper geographical representation based on historical turnout."
He further asserted, "Kathy Hochul is the worst and the weakest governor in the country, and no fake poll from a liberal college will change that."
In contrast to the Siena poll, a survey conducted by the Manhattan Institute revealed Stefanik holding a slight edge over Hochul, while a previous Siena poll in May depicted the candidates in a virtual tie, with Hochul leading by a mere point. Notably, the Siena poll's methodology has come under scrutiny for its reliance on registered voters rather than likely voters, a factor that Stefanik's team argues skews the results.
They highlighted discrepancies in party representation, noting that "the weighted party registration in the poll is about 49% Democrat, 22% Republican, and 28% independent or other. In the 2022 Governor's race, turnout by party registration was about 48% Democrat, 29% Republican, and 23% unaffiliated. That means Republicans are under-represented and independents are over-represented."
The poll also revealed a significant portion of New Yorkers expressing dissatisfaction with Hochul's leadership, with 48 percent indicating a preference for "someone else" to assume the governorship, compared to 42 percent who support her reelection. This sentiment underscores the challenges Hochul faces in securing a second term, as Stefanik's campaign capitalizes on the growing discontent among voters.
As the race progresses, the dynamics between these two candidates will likely continue to evolve, reflecting the broader political landscape and voter priorities in New York.
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