Republican Bruce Blakeman cuts Hochul’s lead in half as new poll points to tightening New York governor’s race.By David Rosenberg, World Israel NewsRepublican Bruce Blakeman has sharply narrowed Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s polling advantage in New York, with a new Siena University survey showing Blakeman cutting Hochul’s lead in halff.The Siena poll released Wednesday found Hochul leading Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, 49% to 39% among likely voters. Siena’s June survey had Hochul ahead by 20 points, 52% to 32%, although that earlier poll surveyed registered voters rather than the narrower likely-voter electorate.Still, the new numbers give Republicans reason to believe a race long viewed as favoring Hochul could become competitive as the November 3 election approaches.“With less than three months till Election Day, Hochul holds a 10-point lead over Blakeman, 49-39%,” Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said.The result is also closer than Siena’s polling at the same stage of the 2022 governor’s race. In August of that year, Hochul led Republican Lee Zeldin by 14 points, 53% to 39%, before ultimately defeating him by less than half that margin, with a six-point lead.Blakeman’s campaign argued that even Siena’s 10-point result understates his position.“This poll is always off and continues to be off. We know and she knows this race is neck and neck,” Blakeman said in a statement.The Republican has pointed to other surveys showing a much closer contest. A July poll conducted by Red Oak Strategic for Strong and Safe New York, a super PAC supporting Blakeman, put Hochul ahead just 47% to 43%.That poll surveyed 2,000 registered voters from July 7 through July 12.The Siena numbers show Blakeman’s strongest position outside New York City. Hochul dominates the city by 64% to 19%, but Blakeman leads 49% to 41% in the downstate suburbs and the two candidates are essentially tied upstate. Blakeman also holds a five-point advantage among likely independent voters, 45% to 40%.Both candidates have largely consolidated their parties, with Hochul taking 80% of Democrats and Blakeman drawing 84% of Republicans. Hochul holds large advantages among women, black and Latino voters, while the candidates are close among men and white voters.The survey nevertheless contained warning signs for both campaigns.Hochul’s favorability rating stood at 46% favorable and 49% unfavorable, while voters were almost evenly divided on her job performance, 48% approving and 49% disapproving. Blakeman was viewed favorably by 33% and unfavorably by 26%, but 40% still did not know enough about him to offer an opinion.On policy, Hochul continues to hold an advantage on several major issues. Voters said she would do a better job increasing affordable housing by 51% to 35% and making prices more affordable by 48% to 41%. She held narrower advantages on energy, public safety and dealing with undocumented immigrants.But Blakeman scored better on several personal characteristics. Likely voters were substantially more likely to describe him as “tough,” and his net ratings exceeded Hochul’s on being honest, getting things done and being in touch with ordinary New Yorkers.Affordability appears likely to remain central to the campaign. Siena’s previous survey found 53% of registered voters identifying the cost of living as New York’s single most important issue and 77% putting it among their top two concerns.Another major factor is New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist whom Blakeman has repeatedly sought to tie to Hochul. Siena found the Democratic Socialists of America viewed unfavorably statewide by 47% of likely voters and favorably by 30%. Among independents, 57% viewed the organization negatively.Blakeman has increasingly depicted Hochul as politically dependent on Mamdani, telling CBS New York this week that the mayor is “running the Democratic Party now.”Hochul and Mamdani, meanwhile, have attacked Blakeman over immigration enforcement and his cooperation with the Trump administration. Hochul said Wednesday that she expected Blakeman, like other local officials, to comply with newly enacted state restrictions on cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities.President Donald Trump represents a potential asset and liability for Blakeman. Trump remains intensely popular with the Republican base and is closely allied with the Nassau County executive, but Siena found only 38% of New York voters approving of Trump and 60% viewing him unfavorably. Trump is expected to campaign with Blakeman on Friday.The Siena poll was conducted August 3-6 among 811 likely New York voters and has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points for its core questions. It is Siena’s first likely-voter poll of the 2026 New York election cycle.The post Kathy Hochul’s Republican Jewish challenger gets big boost in latest poll appeared first on World Israel News.