Democrats are panicking that a Republican could win the governor’s seat in deep-blue New York for the first time since 2002 amid rising concerns about crime and the economy, according to The Hill.
The Democratic Governor’s Association set up a last-minute super PAC for Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in an effort to help the suddenly faltering candidate win her race, according to The Hill. Her challenger, Republican New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin, has been climbing up in the polls and took an advantage over Hochul for the first time in a Monday poll.
Vote like your life depends on it, because it does!pic.twitter.com/RoDcYieOqH
— Lee Zeldin (@leezeldin) October 31, 2022
“I’m worried, I think every Democrat should be worried,” Rich Azzopardi, founder and principal of Bulldog Strategies, told The Hill about the New York race. “People think crime is out of control. … Most Democrats have combatted that with stats showing that in fact that is not, but if people don’t feel physically safe or economically secure you can’t show them stats to talk their way out of it.” (RELATED: Election Forecaster Moves 10 More Blue House Seats Toward GOP Column)
Hochul had a comfortable lead over Zeldin in September at 54% vs. 37%, but that shrank to an 11-point advantage by October, and with less than a week until the election the race now looks like a toss-up. Zeldin has focused on crime, public safety issues and the economy, pointing to high prices under the leadership of President Joe Biden.
Hochul even described herself as an “underdog” Friday, apparently aware that she may lose her race.
Hochul and Zeldin did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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