GOP's Zeldin within striking distance of NY Gov. Hochul

New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin has nearly caught up to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in the race for the governor's mansion.

A recent Trafalgar group poll shows Zeldin with 42.6% support compared to Hochul's 44.5%, giving the Democrat a 1.9% lead. That figure fits inside the 2.9% margin of error, meaning the race is a statistical dead heat.

Libertarian Larry Sharpe earned 3.2% support while 9.7% remain undecided.

New @trafalgar_group #NYGov #Poll (9/30-10/3) shows #Zeldin closing but #Hochul w/razor thin lead. #nypol

44.5% @KathyHochul
42.6% @leezeldin
3.2% @LarrySharpe
9.7% Und

See Report: https://t.co/weFiBXwNIO pic.twitter.com/3eHst2enLS

— Robert C. Cahaly (@RobertCahaly) October 6, 2022

The poll may be an outlier, however, as the RealClearPolitics polling average shows Hochul with an 11.4 lead overall. The governor assumed office after the resignation of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. She had previously served as his lieutenant governor.