NY1: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s favorability and approval rating both dipped, but her lead over Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman grew slightly in the latest Siena University poll of registered voters released on Tuesday.
As Hochul seeks a second full term as governor, her favorability rating sits at 41-46%, according to the poll, which is down from 45-44% in March. It marks her lowest favorability rating since June 2025. Hochul’s job approval rating also fell from 52-40% in March to 48-44%, her lowest job approval rating since April 2025.
It comes as the state’s budget is now more than a month past the deadline.
“Is it the late state budget? Is it something the governor has said or done? Hard to say, but either way, Hochul heads into a campaign – with an election 26 weeks from today – with her lowest favorability and job approval ratings in about a year,” Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said in a statement. “Both Hochul’s favorability and approval ratings fell the most in the last month with independents, men and voters from New York City. While she continues to be in positive territory on both measures in New York City, she has fallen even deeper underwater with independents.”
According to the poll, Hochul holds a 16-point lead over Blakeman, 49-33%, up three points from 47-34% in March.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has a 56-34% favorability rating in New York City, and 43-40% for voters statewide, down slightly from 44-37% in March. His rating in the city remains higher than Hochul, 46-37%, Attorney General Letitia James, 49-24% and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, 37-45%.
New Yorkers view Pope Leo XIV positively, though his 55-19% favorability rating as he approaches the first anniversary of his papacy is not nearly as high as the 73-11% favorability rating Pope Francis garnered two years into his own papacy in 2015.
