October 28. 2026
FROM THE BLAKEMAN FOR GOVERNOR CAMPAIGN: Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman today blasted the Siena and Marist polls released Wednesday, pointing to significant inconsistencies in their findings and questioning whether the surveys accurately reflect the state of the governor’s race. The Siena poll shows Governor Kathy Hochul leading Blakeman among independent voters by 11 points, 51% to 40%. Yet the Marist poll, conducted just days apart, shows Blakeman winning independents by 10 points, 49% to 39% — a staggering 21-point discrepancy in the candidates’ margins. The conflicting findings come as recent Pollfinity results show Hochul leading Blakeman by just one point, 48% to 47%. Previous polls conducted by Quinnipiac and Emerson have also found Blakeman leading among independent voters, further challenging the narrative that Hochul is cruising toward reelection. The polls also use dramatically different voter demographics. Marist’s likely-voter sample is approximately 62% white, compared with Siena’s 73%, raising additional questions about turnout assumptions and how the electorate is being modeled.
Blakeman issued the following statement: “Today’s polls are nothing more than voter suppression tactics designed to discourage Republicans and manipulate the outcome of this election. Kathy Hochul is desperate to convince New Yorkers this race is over because she knows her failed leadership is on the ballot. Our polling and internal surveys across the state show a neck-and-neck race. New Yorkers are fed up with Hochul’s crushing taxes, skyrocketing utility bills, and disastrous policies that have made our state unaffordable. I will lower taxes, cut utility bills, and put more money back in your pockets. New Yorkers deserve a governor who fights for them, not one who relies on misleading polls to declare victory before a single vote is counted.”
Nationally-renowned pollster John McLaughlin stated, “Siena’s poll is a gift to Kathy Hochul at a time when she desperately needs one. After being ranked the worst governor in America, she’s facing a backlash over higher taxes and skyrocketing utility bills. With Hochul facing sky-high unfavorable ratings, Bruce Blakeman is within striking distance. New Yorkers are seeing through the partisan noise, rejecting the narrative that this race is over, and are poised to turn out in force on Election Day.”
The Blakeman campaign called for greater transparency regarding polling methodology, independent-voter samples and likely-voter turnout models.
“The only poll that matters is on Election Day, November 3,” Blakeman concluded.
