New York shifting right as Gov Hochul’s approval drops below Trump’s: poll

A GrayHouse poll conducted between April 22 and 28 found that just 36 percent of New Yorkers approve of Governor Kathy Hochul’s job performance, while 55 percent disapprove. In contrast, President Donald Trump holds a higher approval rating in the state at 43 percent.

The poll follows Trump’s notable performance in the 2024 presidential election, where he increased his vote share in New York by six percentage points compared to 2020, receiving 43.7 percent of the vote.

New York State has been plagued by a number of political issues, including rising crime, immigration concerns, and political corruption, all of which have contributed to growing voter discontent. Republicans are gaining traction after decades of Democratic control, with signs of increased competitiveness statewide. In the 2022 gubernatorial race, Republican Representative Lee Zeldin came within six points of defeating Hochul.

“The rightward shift of New York, in particular New York City, has been happening since 2006,” said GrayHouse pollster Landon Wall, according to the Daily Mail. Wall highlighted that Trump’s gains within New York City could prop up a future Republican candidate. He also noted that Republican gains in the state stem not just from Trump’s popularity, but from dissatisfaction with one-party Democratic rule.

“There's this energy and this desire for something counter to the one party rule in New York that is separate from the Trump effect,” Wall explained.

The poll also found that 60 percent of voters believe it’s “time for someone new,” which included 5 percent of independents and 34 percent of Democrats. In a potential matchup, Republican Representative Elise Stefanik trails Hochul by just six points, with 46 percent supporting Hochul and 40 percent supporting Stefanik, while 14 percent remain undecided.

Stefanik, who is considered a top GOP contender if she runs in 2026, hinted in an interview with the Daily Mail that she is weighing a gubernatorial campaign.

“If you look at the past few election cycles, New York is moving toward the Republican direction, and I believe that's a result of single-party failed Democrat rule led by Kathy Hochul,” she said.

Stefanik was previously nominated by the Trump administration to serve as ambassador to the United Nations. However, her nomination was withdrawn so she could remain in the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a razor-thin majority.

“I'm gonna fight for New Yorkers like I always do,” Stefanik said. “We are crisscrossing the state... we are hearing an outpouring of support importantly not just from Republicans, but from Independents and Democrats as well. It has been overwhelming. New Yorkers want to fire Kathy Hochul.”