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Hochul holds a 10-point lead over Zeldin, 51 to 41 percent, among registered voters statewide, including those who are undecided, according to a new Marist poll.
Among those who say they "will definitely vote," Hochul's lead is down to an eight-point edge over Zeldin, 52 to 44 percent.
Pollsters also asked those with a candidate preference how committed they are to their choice. Seventy-four percent of Zeldin’s supporters, compared with 62 percent of Hochul’s, said they were “firmly committed.”
When it comes to likeability, 46 percent of voters have a favorable opinion of Hochul, while 43 percent have an unfavorable one, the poll found.
For Zeldin, 36 percent of New York voters view him favorably, while 37 percent have an unfavorable view.
Voters were also asked about their top issues heading into the election, with nearly three in ten (28 percent) saying inflation. Preserving democracy (24 percent) was second, followed by crime (18 percent), abortion (14 percent), health care (8 percent), and immigration (7 percent).
Inflation is the top issue among Republicans (42 percent) and independents (31 percent), while preserving democracy was mentioned by a plurality of Democrats (35 percent), according to the poll.
Asked how confident they are that their state or local government will run a fair and accurate election, 90 percent of Democrats were either very confident or confident, nearly twice as many as Republicans (only 47 percent).
A majority of Republicans (53 percent) said they had little or no confidence in the election process.
Hochul and Zeldin will face off in their only debate on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. at Pace University in Manhattan. It will air on Spectrum News NY1.
A former lieutenant governor and the state’s first female governor, Hochul is seeking her first full term in office after assuming the role in August 2021 when Andrew Cuomo resigned amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Zeldin represents the state’s 1st Congressional District covering eastern Long Island. He is a staunch supporter of former President Trump and was among the 147 Republicans in Congress who voted against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Election Day will be held Tuesday, Nov. 8.
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