Latest Polls: Blakeman Trailing Hochul In New York Governor Race

NASSAU COUNTY, NY. — Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman trails Kathy Hochul by a 54-28 percent margin in the New York Governor’s race, according to the latest Siena University polls released Tuesday.

Tuesday’s is the first fresh batch of polls released by the university since Republican Elise Stefanik ended her campaign for governor. The 54-28 margin shows Hochul picking up four points since those December polls with Blakeman picking up three.

“Nine months from election day, Blakeman — largely unknown to three in five New York voters — has his work cut out for him. Hochul’s 79-8 percent lead among Democrats is significantly better than Blakeman’s 69-15 percent lead with Republicans, and she leads 41-34 percent with independents, as well as in every region of the state,” Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said.

Also released Tuesday was a Siena favorability poll that asked New York registered voters about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Of the voters surveyed, 67 percent viewed the agency unfavorably compared to 28 percent who viewed the agency favorably.

The poll did show 43 percent of voters supported deporting undocumented immigrants in the United States illegally, compared to 35 percent who viewed it unfavorably. 61 percent of surveyed voters said they opposed the way ICE is carrying out the work to arrest people. According to the pollsters, two-thirds of surveyed voters thought ICE had gone too far in its tactics, and 59 percent of voters opposed the federal government sending additional ICE agents to New York.

In Long Island, the agency has been the subject of several vigils and protests in recent weeks, including events in Glen Cove, Melville, Plainview and across the East End. A Hochul proposal that would bar ICE agents from targeting people whose only suspected crime was being in the country illegally at schools, hospitals and houses of worship without a judicial warrant received 67 percent support in the polls.