New Unite NY Poll Shows Giuliani in Lead in GOP Primary; Zeldin Numbers Continue to Fall
Third Consecutive Unite NY/John Zogby Strategies Poll has Giuliani Ahead, Lead now Stretched to 10 Points, Zeldin Numbers Drop for the 4th Poll in a Row
Albany, NY – Andrew Giuliani now has a 10-point lead in the GOP race for Governor according to the latest poll from Unite NY and John Zogby Strategies. This marks the third consecutive poll Giuliani has led the field and coincides with a consistent decline in performance from Lee Zeldin, the Republican’s endorsed candidate.
Completed as part of Unite NY’s Voter Empowerment Index, the survey found Giuliani leading Zeldin 35%-25% with a little more than a month until the GOP Primary election. In the Democratic primary, Governor Kathy Hochul, despite sky high voter dissatisfaction (51% of voters think New York is on the wrong track) and climbing disapproval ratings (38% disapprove – up from 33% in February), handily leads her nearest challengers, securing 54% of support, while Jumaane Williams (17%) and Tom Suozzi (12%) trail by huge margins.
The Voter Empowerment Index also reaffirmed the fact that New York voters started out mad in January and things have only gotten worse. There are now more than 2 in 5 (41%) voters saying they are considering, or have made plans, to leave the state, more than half (51%) thinking New York state is on the wrong track, and the same number (51%) feeling partisan politics is worse than it was in 2020.
New York’s elected leaders effectively wasted an entire legislative session by not acting on several good government reforms that enjoy strong and growing support. The poll found 58% of voters support Ranked Choice Voting (up from 51% in January), 60% support the abolition of dark money in politics, and 62% support no excuse absentee voting (up from 52% in March).
Deepening voter anger and growing support for reform clearly demonstrates that in 2022, New Yorkers are sicker than ever of politics as usual, with 60% of voters saying it is important that third parties be allowed on the election ballot, even though New York now has some of the most restrictive ballot access requirements in the nation. Further, more than half of respondents (51%) said they would be more likely to support a candidate who supports open primaries.
The top issues for New York voters are crime and public safety (47%) and taxes and the economy (38%). Of those who say they are planning to leave, more than half (52%) are planning on doing so within the next 1-3 years.
Unite NY Founder Martin Babinec said, “Unite NY has spent the last 5 months measuring voter attitudes and the picture is crystal clear, voters have had enough. They believe the state is on the wrong track, they are ready to leave, and our current Governor’s disapproval rating continues to climb. Part of the reason why is that the average voter is clearly embracing reforms that are being rejected by those that are in power and want to keep it. The candidates that hear this message and openly advocate reform will be the ones that have the best chance to capture so many voters who want to see leaders ready to fix the broken system now.”
John Zogby, Founder and Senior Partner, Zogby Strategies said, “It would seem that Republicans have a golden opportunity to perform well in November. But thus far, Governor Hochul is in the drivers’ seat and the election is hers to lose. First, the GOP will have to unite then produce a compelling message that convinces they can do a better job. They are not there yet.”
Snapshots of Key Findings of the poll are as follows:
Republican Primary:
Democratic Primary
Reform:
Links to the entire poll are as follows:
About Unite NY
Unite NY is a new political home in New York State for Republicans, Democrats, conservatives, liberals, and independents to come together to seek common sense solutions. Focused on a non-partisan approach to fixing real problems in our government, democracy, and economy, Unite NY supports candidates who understand working together is the only way we can succeed. Learn more at www.UniteNY.org.
About John Zogby Strategies
The world-renowned firm provides a wide range of research and advisory services to clients across the globe. It was founded by pollster, author and trend-spotter John Zogby and his sons Jeremy and Benjamin. Learn more at https://johnzogbystrategies.com.