It\u2019s an Empire State squeeze.<\/p>\n
Two-thirds of New York voters are fed up with the\u00a0cost of living<\/a>, saying it\u2019s gotten harder to make ends meet, a new survey released Tuesday found.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Siena College poll, which found that Gov. Kathy Hochul\u2019s approval rating has dipped again, asked more than 800 voters if they believed that New York was heading the wrong direction \u2014 and 67% said it was.<\/p>\n The dire forecast cut across partisan lines, with of 59% Democrats, 79% of Republicans, and 71% of independent or non-party-affiliated voters polled agreeing that the state is taking a bite out of their wallets.\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite voters\u2019 views that New York is failing to address the fundamental issues of the high cost of living and housing, Gov. Hochul is still in the driver\u2019s seat for her re-election bid to win a second, four-year term this fall, the poll shows. Susan Watts\/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul<\/p>\n \u201cNew Yorkers are very disappointed with the state of affairs. Full stop,\u201d said JC Polanco, a political analyst and professor at the University of Mount St. Vincent. \u201cYou can see in the results regarding cost of living, affordability.<\/p>\n \u201cBoth Republicans and Democrats love to talk about it, but their solutions stink,\u201d Polanco said. \u201cIt\u2019s terrible. Who\u2019s going to come up with a solution?\u201d<\/p>\n The Siena University Poll surveyed 806 state-registered voters from April 27-30, with a margin of error of +\/- 4.2 percentage points.<\/p>\n \u201cVoters are fed up with their leaders,\u201d political consultant George Arzt said. \u201cThe cost of living doesn\u2019t seem to be going in any direction but up. People are worried about their future and their children\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n Ross Wallenstein, founder and CEO of the public relations firm Wall to Wall Communications, said high taxes<\/a> \u201care a problem for everyone.<\/p>\n \u201cBut some candidates and legislators in this country for a generation or two have tried to tax-break our way out of everything while New Yorkers send much more to Washington than we ever get back,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLooks like while offering breaks, they broke it.\u201d<\/p>\n Hochul leads rival, Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, 49% to 33%, with the remainder undecided or preferring someone else. Gregory P. Mango for NY Post<\/p>\n The Siena results represent a mixed bag for Hochul, whose favorability rating dipped to 41% from 45% in March, her lowest mark since June 2025, while her approval rating was at 48% after a 52% rating in March, the lowest in a year, according to Siena.<\/p>\n Hochul has tried to sell herself as the affordability candidate as she nears her re-election bid in November \u2014 but critics contend things have just gotten pricier on her watch and could get even worse.\u00a0<\/p>\n Last week, a separate survey by The Business Council of New York State determined that nearly 70% of respondents fear that the state\u2019s controversial energy mandates<\/a> will drive prices even higher.\u00a0<\/p>\n New York already has the second-highest tax burden in the US<\/a> \u2014 lagging only behind Hawaii, according to a report released last month by WalletHub \u2014 and taxes residents more aggressively than any state.<\/p>\n Big Apple Mayor Zohran Mamdani is still viewed favorably \u2013 but barely \u2013 by a plurality of voters statewide, 43% favorable to 40% unfavorable. James Messerschmidt for the NY Post<\/p>\n The report found that the Empire State had a 13.6% tax burden, which means 13.6 cents out of every dollar goes to taxes.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s even worse in the Big Apple.<\/p>\n For example, New Yorkers pay an additional\u00a04.875% sales levy to the state\u2019s 4% sales tax every time they go to the cash register.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, the Siena poll also found that Hochul\u2019s lead over Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, had slightly widened since the earlier survey.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n The Democratic governor now leads Blakeman by a 49-33 margin, after the poll in March had a narrower gap at 47-34.<\/p>\n One major challenge for Blakeman appears to be that 64% of voters polled said they don\u2019t know who he is or are unfamiliar with him, the survey said.\u00a0<\/p>\n On another question, the poll determined that only 31% of voters said New York was creating enough affordable housing, while 57% said the effort to fill that gap is heading in the wrong direction.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, a majority of New Yorkers polled \u2014 53% \u2014 said statewide efforts to reduce crime were falling short, while just 38% said crime fighting policies are on the right track.<\/p>\n Nearly 70% of Republicans, two-thirds of independents, and a plurality of Democrats agree that housing costs are too high. vichie81 \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Voters were more split on whether New York was providing a quality education, safeguarding the environment, improving the state\u2019s transportation infrastructure and providing access to quality health care.\u00a0<\/p>\n Democrats were more positive than Republicans on the issue.<\/p>\n \u201cA majority of Democrats think the state is on the right track on five issues, but even Democrats agree with Republicans and independents that the state is headed in the wrong direction on housing and cost of living,\u201d Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said.<\/p>\n Follow live updates on Mayor Zohran Mamdani\u2019s socialist agenda and the latest in NYC politics<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Despite voters\u2019 views that New York is failing to address the fundamental issues of the high cost of living<\/a> and housing, according to the poll, Kathy Hochul is still in the driver\u2019s seat for her re-election bid to win a second, four-year term this fall.<\/p>\n Hochul leads Republican nominee Bruce Blakeman, the current Nassau County executive, 49% to 33%, with the remainder undecided or preferring someone else.<\/p>\n Blakeman\u2019s big challenge: nearly two-thirds of voters \u2014 64% \u2014 said they don\u2019t know or are unfamiliar with him.<\/p>\n DiNapoli is seeking a fifth term as New York State Comptroller, but only 28 percent of voters said they would re-elect him. REUTERS<\/p>\n One eye-opener: only 43% of voters said they would re-elect state Democratic Attorney General Letitia James, while 41% of respondents prefer someone else.<\/p>\n