Overview
- A co/efficient poll released this week for the Coalition to Protect Nassau Taxpayers shows Gov. Kathy Hochul leading Bruce Blakeman 47% to 41% among likely voters with 12% undecided, a result cited by Republicans as evidence the race is tightening.
- Hochul made a three‑stop Long Island tour on Monday to announce a $100 million law‑enforcement grant program and to reject a Blakeman mailer linking her to higher costs and crime.
- Blakeman’s campaign pushed the co/efficient results on social media, has run hard‑hitting ads including an AI‑generated spot targeting Hochul on crime and costs, and benefits from an allied Super PAC called Make It Cheaper.
- Hochul holds a large cash advantage with roughly $20 million on hand compared with about $1.4 million for Blakeman, though Republicans expect several million more in public matching funds that could narrow the gap.
- Long Island remains the battleground where polls diverge — Siena shows mixed county results while co/efficient tightens the statewide picture — and campaigns are using selective surveys now to shape donor confidence and turnout before July filings and the fall campaign.