A shock new poll has revealed that Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) could be in with a chance of defeating Democrat incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul in deep blue New York’s gubernatorial election.
In a hypothetical match-up, Stefanik and Hochul are neck-and-neck, the poll found.
The polling was revealed in a recent survey by data analytics firm co/efficient.
The results of the survey, obtained by the New York Post, show Stefanik, a close ally of President Donald Trump, as the strongest contender to unseat Hochul.
The independent poll revealed that Hochul, who is up for reelection next year, would have 43 percent of the vote.
Stefanik, meanwhile, is just a hair behind with 42 percent.
About 15 percent of New Yorkers are still undecided, the poll noted.
Stefanik also handily won a hypothetical Republican primary matchup against fellow New York Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
Lawler and Blakeman received just nine and eight percent, respectively, compared to the congresswoman’s 56 percent of the vote.
The survey, which garnered responses from nearly 1,200 likely voters in the 2026 gubernatorial election, also revealed Hochul’s 30 percent approval rating.
57 percent of respondents said they disapprove of the Democrat governor.
The same poll also found that Trump received a 44 percent favorability rating from New York voters.
Just 23 percent of respondents said Hochul “deserves reelection.”
Nearly two-thirds said they wanted a new governor, the New York Post noted.
“Hochul’s re-elect score further highlights her inherent vulnerability,” co/efficient pollster Ryan Munce told the outlet.
The co/efficient survey results came just a day after a Siena College poll also had Stefanik with a sizable, but tighter, lead against other potential Republican candidates.
The poll reported 35 percent support among likely GOP voters compared to 22 percent for Lawler and 11 percent for Blakeman.
While no Republicans have officially entered the gubernatorial race, Stefanik’s senior adviser Alex DeGrasse noted that she’s a shoo-in for the governor’s seat “if she decides to run.”
“Now we have a second independent poll that shows what everyone knows; there is no question that the single most popular Republican in NY after President Trump is Elise Stefanik,” DeGrasse said in a statement.
“If she decides to run, it’s lights out in the primary and very competitive in the general election, where she can defeat Kathy Hochul to Save New York.”
In a statement to the New York Post, a spokesperson for the Hochul campaign dismissed Stefanik as an “extremist.”
Hochul’s office called Stefanik “a staunch Trump loyalist who is gutting New Yorkers’ healthcare and fighting to rip away their rights.”
“We welcome the opportunity to contrast Gov. Hochul’s record of putting money back in New Yorkers’ pockets, supporting our kids, and keeping communities safe with Stefanik’s out-of-touch, divisive, and dangerous record — and fast-track her unemployment once and for all,” spokeswoman Jen Goodman added.
