Analysts at RealClearPolitics, who predict the probable outcomes of elections, moved New York’s gubernatorial race from “Lean Democrat” to “Toss-up” roughly three weeks before the election between Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin.
The rating change happened on Saturday, just over three weeks before the election. The polling comes as Zeldin is within six points of Hochul on the average provided by RealClearPolitics.
Zeldin is only 5.3 percent down from the Democrats, with the RealClearPolitics average showing 49 percent support for Hochul and 43.7 percent support for the Long Island Republican congressman.
The last three polls RealClearPolitics showed are a Schoen poll, Marist College poll, and Trafalgar Group:
- Schoen, an independent poll, showed Hochul at 50 percent and Zeldin at 44 percent among likely voters.
- Marist College poll showed Hochul at 52 percent and Zeldin at 44 percent among definite voters.
- Trafalgar Group showed Hochul at 44.4 percent and Zeldin at 42.6 percent among likely general election voters.
“Our race was just moved to TOSS UP by @RealClearNews! We have just 24 days to go until we FIRE @KathyHochul & save our state,” Zeldin tweeted shortly after the news broke. “It’s not too late for Hochul to come out of hiding & do multiple debates with me across New York, starting immediately!”
🚨Our race was just moved to TOSS UP by @RealClearNews! We have just 24 days to go until we FIRE @KathyHochul & save our state. It’s not too late for Hochul to come out of hiding & do multiple debates with me across New York, starting immediately! pic.twitter.com/eYrm1TUYnD
— Lee Zeldin (@leezeldin) October 15, 2022
As Zeldin noted, he has challenged Hochul to as many as five debates ahead of the general election on November 8. However, it appears the two have still yet to agree on any.
Zeldin has accused Hochuk of “chickening out,” as the New York Post’s front page on September 30 was a picture of the Democrat — who the publication calls “scaredy Kat” — is in a bright yellow chicken suit.
Kathy Hochul loses if she debates me, but loses even more if she doesn't.
I've challenged her to at least 5 debates across NY. She hasn't yet accepted even one.
As today's @nypost cover perfectly sums up, it's time for #ScaredyKat to come out of hiding and face the music. pic.twitter.com/0oCqFNfqRa
— Lee Zeldin (@leezeldin) September 16, 2022
You would lean even more towards my congressman Lee Zeldin when you find out how CAPABLE, HONEST and CARING he is! It may be a huge change for NEW YORK – and one a long time in coming.
Why doesn’t Kathy Hochul fire the DA in New York for not doing his job….
Time to wake up N.Y. Vote RED, or prepare to live under the heels of the jackbooted thugs of the democommunists forever. We are very close to a communist dictatorship, if these communists commit FRAUD, and steal the election again , and the unelected “empress” hochul gets FRAUDULENTLY “installed” back in , this November, kiss your freedoms GOODBYE,
All these so-called Pollsters what do they know seems to me they are more wrong than right the American people that vote should this year VOTE RED. As this is the most important time ever to vote the Marxist party out of all local office, we can not afford to keep these Progressives Marxists in power any longer they have trashed this country so badly lets us bring back sanity.