Well, here’s a sentence nobody expected to hear in the state of New York: Trump-backed ally Elise Stefanik is leading Kathy Hochul in the governor’s race. Let that sink in for a minute. In a state that’s been blue since flip phones were cool, a Republican woman from upstate just pulled ahead of the sitting Democratic governor — and not by a sliver of a point from some shady poll cooked up in a Facebook group. No, this is from the Manhattan Institute, a legit conservative think tank that’s not in the business of fantasy polling.
According to the numbers released Tuesday, Stefanik leads Hochul 43% to 42%, with 9% of voters saying they support someone else, and another 7% still undecided. That’s within the margin of error, sure, but it tells us something loud and clear: New Yorkers are sick of the crime, corruption, incompetence, and Left-wing insanity that have turned the Empire State into a cautionary tale.
And in case you think this is a one-off, remember that just two months ago, a Siena College poll had Hochul up by 14 points. That’s a 15-point swing. This isn’t a fluke — it’s a freefall.
Stefanik, never one to mince words, recently called Hochul the “Worst Governor in America” for supporting NYC’s far-left mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani — a self-declared socialist whose policies make AOC look like Ronald Reagan. Mamdani, according to the same Manhattan Institute poll, is leading NYC’s mayoral race with 46%, compared to Andrew Cuomo’s 31% and Curtis Sliwa’s 21%. That’s right — a socialist is on track to run America’s biggest city, and Hochul is on stage cheering him on like he’s the second coming of FDR.
Meanwhile, voters aren’t exactly buying what Mamdani or Hochul are selling. The poll shows New Yorkers actually support harsher penalties for fare evasion, want to repeal bail reform, are skeptical about free buses, and — shocker — still believe in merit-based education. Imagine that. Common sense in the Big Apple.
Stefanik is tapping into that silent, angry, overtaxed majority who’s tired of watching their neighborhoods crumble while Albany pretends everything’s fine. She’s showing what a real opposition looks like. And with over a year until the election, she’s already making Hochul sweat.
This could be the most competitive statewide race in New York in decades. And if Stefanik keeps this up, she might just make history by doing what no Republican has done in over 20 years: take back the governor’s mansion from the radical Left.
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