ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — The latest Siena College poll showed that voters in New York hold low opinions of Gov. Kathy Hochul and mixed feelings about Pres. Donald Trump. While New Yorkers worry about the economy statewide, those polled nonetheless supported several of Hochul’s proposals.
Overall, registered voters rated Hochul unfavorably. Thirty-nine percent view her favorably, compared to 47% who don't. But it's slightly less bleak in terms of job performance, with 44% saying they approve of the job she's doing, compared to 48% who don't. Judging her work on the state's finances over the past year, 52% said the Hochul administration has not improved conditions, and 22% said it had.
Voters broadly supported ten proposals from Hochul’s State of the State and budget plans. Majorities favored free breakfast and lunch for public school students, boosting the child tax credit, limiting cellphone use at school, and expanding involuntary commitment. Forty-two percent of voters think the proposals would improve everyday life for New Yorkers, and 26% think they won't. Either way, just 31% of voters said they'd support her reelection campaign for governor, while 57%—represents 41% of Democrats surveyed and 82% of Republicans—would prefer “someone else.”
“Hochul hasn’t had a positive favorability rating since January 2024. Her favorability rating has never once hit 50% in a state where 49% of voters are Democrats,” said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg. “Never once have a majority of voters viewed Hochul favorably, and at present, only 55% of Democrats view her favorably.”
Opinions on the country’s progress improved slightly compared to Siena's last poll in December, though 50% of poll respondents still rated New York as going in the wrong direction. Check out the approval ratings for other New York State lawmakers:
| Favorable | Unfavorable | Don't know /No opinion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sen. Chuck Schumer | 46% | 41% | 14% |
| Rep. Hakeem Jeffries | 38% | 27% | 36% |
| Attorney General Letitia James | 40% | 33% | 27% |
| Comptroller Tom DiNapoli | 19% | 17% | 63% |
| New York State Assembly | 37% | 36% | 27% |
| New York State Senate | 41% | 37% | 22% |
On immigration, 79% of voters backed deporting immigrants convicted of a crime, opposed by only 11%. And 39% also backed deporting immigrants with no criminal record, compared to 42% of those polled who would oppose it. And most voters polled don't want the state to pay for medical care for undocumented immigrants through Medicaid, with 59% rejecting the idea and 26% in favor. Forty-eight percent told pollsters that New York should support federal government efforts to deport illegal immigrants, while 31% said the state should oppose them.
The poll showed that 41% viewed Pres. Trump favorably, compared to 56% who viewed him unfavorably. The Siena Research Institute said that 41% represented a tie with his highest-ever favorability among New Yorkers. His early job performance earned 46% approval and 51% disapproval. And voters split nearly evenly on whether he would usher in a new golden age for America, with 48% saying yes and 46% saying no.
Other issues received divided reactions. According to Siena, the registered New York they polled:
- Oppose renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America (60% for; 20% against)
- Oppose tariffs on Mexico and Canada (49% for; 32% against)
- Oppose retaking the Panama Canal by (41%; 34% against)
- Oppose recognizing only two genders received (47% for; 40% against)
The survey also noted that 50% of New York voters viewed former Pres. Joe Biden unfavorably, compared to 45% who viewed him favorably. That represents an improvement over December, when 37% approved and 59% disapproved. Meanwhile, only 34% approved of Vice President J.D. Vance and billionaire Musk, with 51% unfavorability for the Veep and 53% for the CEO of Twitter/X.
The poll, conducted from Jan. 27 to Jan. 30, 2025, surveyed 803 New Yorkers out of a population of roughly 20 million. Pollsters contacted 506 respondents by phone and 297 online. The overall margin of error stood at plus or minus 4.2 percentage points. The poll comes courtesy of the non-partisan Siena College Research Institute, located in Albany County, that conducts political, economic, social, and research focused on New York State.