Facing re-election this year, Gov. Kathy Hochul finds herself in a stronger political position than at any point since taking office, according to a new Siena College poll that shows her personal favorability at an all-time high.
Her likely Republican opponent, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, is also trailing badly in an early general election matchup expected to take place amid an expected blue wave in November.
The Siena Research Institute survey, conducted Jan. 26-28 among 802 registered voters statewide, shows Hochul is viewed favorably by 49% and unfavorably by 40%, the first time in more than 4 years that her favorability has reached that level in SRI polling.
The result marks a notable improvement from December, when Hochul stood at 43% favorable and 41% unfavorable.
In a hypothetical general election matchup, Hochul leads Blakeman 54% to 28%, with 17% undecided or saying they would not vote.
With U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik no longer running for governor, Blakeman is widely expected to become the Republican nominee, leaving Hochul with a commanding early advantage against a challenger who appears to remain largely unknown to voters outside of Long Island.
Siena found that nearly three-fifths of New Yorkers either have never heard of Blakeman or lack an opinion about him. His favorability rating stands at 18% favorable and 20% unfavorable, a slight improvement from December but still well below Hochul’s standing.
Hochul’s strength is most pronounced within her own party. Among registered Democrats, she holds a 64%-11% lead over Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado in a hypothetical primary — her strongest showing against Delgado to date in Siena’s polling.
Democrats view Hochul favorably by a 69%-20% margin, her best performance with the party in three years.
Hochul also leads Blakeman by overwhelming margins among Democrats, 79% to 8%, while Blakeman’s advantage among Republicans — 69% to 15% — is smaller. Independents favor Hochul 41% to 34%.
Despite those numbers, the poll suggests the governor still faces some residual vulnerability. When asked whether Hochul deserves re-election, only 42% of voters said they would vote to re-elect her, while 51% said they would prefer someone else.
The poll also finds broad voter support for several major proposals Hochul outlined in her State of the State address and proposed budget, including policies that enjoy bipartisan backing.
Sixty-eight percent of voters support eliminating state income taxes on the first $25,000 earned in tips. Sixty-seven percent back limiting immigration enforcement in “sensitive locations” such as schools, hospitals, and places of worship unless authorities have a judicial warrant.
Two-thirds support increasing childcare funding by $1.7 billion, and 65% favor allowing New Yorkers to bring state-level civil actions against federal officers they believe violated their constitutional rights.
Even Republicans expressed majority or plurality support for several of these proposals, particularly the tax exemption for tipped income and direct aid to farmers to offset tariff-related costs.
The poll also found that President Donald Trump continues to struggle with New York voters during the first year of his second term. Trump’s favorability rating stands at 33% favorable and 63% unfavorable, virtually unchanged from December.
This will come as bad news for Blakeman, who recently tried to align himself with the the president over the weekend as he addressed the state Conservative Party’s annual convention, seeking to solidify support among right-wing voters ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial race, per City & State.
Hochul last week introduced the “Local Cops, Local Crimes Act,” which would prohibit cooperative 287(g) agreements between local police departments and the federal government that allow ICE to deputize local officers as federal agents to assist in immigration enforcement.
Speaking with NY1 on Monday, Blakeman said he would not rule out suing the state if Gov. Hochul’s proposal to end local immigration enforcement agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement becomes law, reinforcing his support for cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
The Siena poll, however, paints a bleak picture for federal immigration authorities in the eyes of New Yorkers. ICE is viewed unfavorably by 67% of voters, with only 28% holding a favorable opinion. While voters narrowly support deporting people living in the country illegally, they overwhelmingly oppose how ICE is currently operating.
Sixty-one percent of respondents oppose the way ICE is working to arrest people, two-thirds say the agency’s tactics have gone too far, and 59% oppose sending additional ICE agents to NYC. Democrats and independents are closely aligned in their opposition, while Republicans largely support ICE’s approach.
Separately, the poll also finds NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani at his highest favorability rating to date, 48% favorable and 32% unfavorable.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer remains underwater at 39% favorable and 46% unfavorable, though his numbers have improved slightly since November. Attorney General Letitia James continues to post solid ratings at 44% favorable and 30% unfavorable.
