New York governor race tightens to a ‘TOSS UP’ as Republican Zeldin closes in on Kathy Hochul

The race to become governor of New York has tightened dramatically recently as Republican challenger Lee Zeldin closed the gap and turned the race into a “throw-up” against incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul.

A RealClearPolitics average of the polls between Sept. 30 and Oct. 12 shows that Hochul’s lead over Zeldin has dwindled to just 5.3 percent — with 7 percent of voters still to decide.

Zeldin, a U.S. Army veteran and Long Island congressman, dropped a whopping 24 points in August, and his late rise shows that New York’s rising crime rate could benefit the crime-fighting candidate.

The Republican also benefits from the fact that Republicans vote more often, and his following is more enthusiastic than Hochul’s, Lee M. Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, said in a statement.

“While Democratic candidates for governor and US senate are in charge in very blue New York, the race for governor is still a sight to behold,” he added.

Hochul, who took over when former governor Andrew Cuomo was ousted over sexual harassment allegations, has seen an increase in crime under her administration.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been criticized for being lax about New York City’s rising crime rate — and Zeldin has promised to fire him on Day 1 of his term if he wins

Miringoff also said “any shift in crime” will likely benefit Zeldin as the race draws to a close, and New York City has seen a surge this year.

Zeldin has promised to fire Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg immediately upon taking office.

Bragg has been widely criticized for his lax attitude to crime, including his frequent decisions to bail violent criminals back onto the streets.

“I’m not in this race to finish second. I participate. I’ve been on this race for over 18 months and campaigning across the state,” Zeldin said earlier this month.

“One of the reasons I entered the race was because of this pro-criminal law passed out of Albany,” he added.

Hochul has criticized Zeldin for his ties to former President Donald Trump, who held a fundraising campaign for the candidate in September.

She has also criticized his views on abortion in an effort to resonate with voters in the historically blue state. The state has not had a Republican governor since 2006.

The news comes as Democrats across the country sound the alarm about Republicans getting closer to winning seats and governorships.

Kari Lake, the Republican nominee for governor of Arizona and close ally of Trump, is engaged in an exciting race with Democratic Secretary of State of Arizona Katie Hobbs for state governorship.

Among the “ultra MAGA” candidates who are close allies of Donald Trump and who support his baseless claims that President Joe Biden lost the 2020 election, Lake is seen as one of the most likely to win in November.

Of the ‘ultra MAGA’ governor candidates who are close allies to Donald Trump, Arizona’s Kari Lake is seen as one of the most likely to win in November

President Joe Biden spent two days in Portland, Oregon, trying to stop the state from electing the first Republican governor in 40 years

Oregon GOP nominee Christine Drazan holds a small lead in polls, gaining the support of Oregon’s richest man, Nike co-founder Phil Knight

Polls show Arizona governor’s race is considered one of the most competitive on the ballot this year

Lake, 53, is a former TV news presenter who quit the company last year after decades. She is adept at creating viral moments through bombastic attacks on reporters and the mainstream media.

Experts say Lake’s lack of managerial experience and telegenic personality are major positives in the current era of American politics, where outsider credentials and spicy sound bites could win the day.

Even President Joe Biden scrambled to help his desperate party when he attended a meeting for Oregon governor candidate Tina Kotek, who is neck and neck with GOP nominee Christine Drazan.

A mix of high crime, homelessness and an independent spoiler candidate propelled Drazan to the top spot.

“As long as Trump controls the Republican Party, he will have an incredible impact on state legislatures,” Biden told the crowd at the Pacific Northwest Carpenters Institute.

He said the role and impact of governors is increasing exponentially.

“It’s a race that goes way beyond the state of Oregon,” he said.

Voters are drifting away from the Democratic Party in the region, disillusioned with leaders who have relaxed hard drug laws and presided over the record-breaking crime rate.

Now they’re flirting with the election of the state’s first Republican governor since 1982 — when Men at Work was number one and Diet Coke had just launched.