Kamala Harris expands lead over Trump in New York, Siena Poll shows

Vice President Kamala Harris has widened her lead over former President Donald Trump in New York, according to the latest Siena College poll.

The survey, released Tuesday, shows Harris with a commanding 19-point advantage among likely voters, securing 59% to Trump’s 39%. This marks a notable increase from her 13-point lead in September, when she held a 55-42% edge.

The poll highlights key areas where Harris significantly outperforms Trump. Voters overwhelmingly trust her more on issues like abortion rights and protecting democracy, while she holds a narrow lead on economic and immigration policies.

In addition to Harris’s growing lead, the poll also revealed that New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand maintains a strong lead in her re-election race against Republican challenger Mike Sapraicone. Additionally, the proposed Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) constitutional amendment enjoys overwhelming support, with 69% of voters in favor.

While the Democratic ticket is performing well, the poll offers a mixed picture for Governor Kathy Hochul. Her favorability has risen slightly to 36-51%, an improvement from last month’s 34-54%. Similarly, her job approval rating has inched up to 41-51%. “Hochul continues to be viewed favorably by a small majority of Democrats, but Republicans and independents remain largely unfavorable towards her,” noted Siena pollster Steve Greenberg. He added, “The good news for Hochul is that both her favorability and job approval ratings are up a little. The bad news is that they’re up from all-time lows and have a ways to go before reaching positive territory.”

As the 2024 race heats up, Harris’s growing popularity in New York underscores the state’s continued loyalty to the Democratic Party.