Unite NY Poll: Hochul Leads Lawler by Single Digits

Cuomo with Significant Lead in NYC Mayoral Primary

Hochul Approval Rating Improves Slightly; Still Below 50%

Voters Overwhelming Support Common Sense Reforms: Term Limits, Nonpartisan Primaries, Citizen Ballot Initiatives 

A new poll from Unite NY and Citizen Data shows incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul leading GOP challenger Congressman Michael Lawler by just 8 percentage points (46% to 38%), despite the fact that Lawler has not declared a run for Governor. Hochul does have a majority of support among Democratic voters (52%) in a hypothetical primary matchup featuring with Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado (15%) and Congressman Ritchie Torres (12%). 

Despite the close nature of the hypothetical general election matchup, Governor Hochul’s approval rating actually improved: In November 2024, the same poll showed just 37% of New Yorkers had a favorable view of Governor Hochul, now a plurality (43%) have a positive view of the Governor. Additionally, fewer New Yorkers say the state is headed in the wrong direction, compared to November (47% in February 2025 vs. 53% in November 2024).

In the race for New York City mayor, despite not yet being a declared candidate in the Ranked Choice Vote primary, Andrew Cuomo leads the field with 35% first round support among New York City Democratic voters, followed by Scott Stringer with 17%, and embattled incumbent Mayor Eric Adams with 15%. Cuomo also projects to win the primary after eight rounds of rank choice voting.

One thing that has not changed is New Yorkers’ strong support for election reforms. Continuing a trend from the post-election results, an overwhelming majority of voters  – 77% – want open or nonpartisan primaries which could play a key role in breaking the partisan gridlock of the Empire State. Open primaries could also boost voter participation in primaries, which routinely have less than 20% participation.

More than 75% of New Yorkers support term limits for statewide office holders (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and State Comptroller) and 71% back Citizens Ballot Initiatives, allowing voters to bypass the state legislature and place proposed legislation directly on the ballot, empowering voters to have a say on the issues they say are the most important. Interestingly, more than half of voters say Albany is not addressing issues most important to them; top concerns include inflation and cost of living, along with crime and public safety.

“New Yorkers are clearly frustrated and want change. They are seeking elected officials who listen to them and voters want more of a say in the electoral process. This survey should serve as a warning and wake up call to our leaders in Albany. There’s still time to shake up the status quo, but failing to meet the wants and needs could cost these politicians their jobs,” said Unite NY Executive Director Tim Dunn.

The Unite NY/Citizens Data sampled N = 1,000 registered voters in New York, concluding February 10, 2025 using panel respondents. The margin of error is +/- 3.1%. For the hypothetical Democratic gubernatorial primary, the margin of error is +/-  4.4%. For the hypothetical NYC mayoral primary, the MOE is +/- 6.2%.

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