Blakeman Calls Negative Polls ‘Voter Suppression’ That Is Dissuading Republicans From Casting Ballots

With early voting underway, Republican nominee for Governor Bruce Blakeman is calling polls that show him behind incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul by double digits “voter suppression,” claiming the surveys are intentionally geared to urge Republican voters to stay home from a race his internal polling finds is still winnable. In some of his sharpest language of the campaign to date, Mr. Blakeman hit back against a Siena College poll that showed him behind by 14 points to Ms. Hochul, pointing to “significant inconsistencies” in the data.With less than one week left to go in New York’s gubernatorial race, Mr. Blakeman is going negative — not merely against the woman he’s called “America’s worst governor,” but against the polling data that has shown him within striking distance of Albany yet stubbornly falling behind his Democratic opponent.“The only poll that matters is on Election Day, November 3,” Mr. Blakeman said.It’s familiar language from underdog candidates, yet Mr. Blakeman has so far defied the odds to close the polling gap in recent months. Despite high Democratic voter enthusiasm across the nation and a President with approval numbers beneath 40 percent in New York state, Mr. Blakeman has hung on against Ms. Hochul, narrowing the gap to single digits in several recent surveys.In a statement Wednesday, Mr. Blakeman brought in a pollster of his own to refute surveys that show him down by double digits. John McLaughlin, a pollster for President Trump, blasted the Siena poll Wednesday without attacking its methodology.“Siena’s poll is a gift to Kathy Hochul at a time when she desperately needs one,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “After being ranked the worst governor in America, she’s facing a backlash over higher taxes and skyrocketing utility bills. With Hochul facing sky-high unfavorable ratings, Bruce Blakeman is within striking distance. New Yorkers are seeing through the partisan noise, rejecting the narrative that this race is over, and are poised to turn out in force on Election Day.”In March, Mr. McLaughlin conducted a survey that showed Mr. Blakeman within single digits of Ms. Hochul: 52 percent to 43 percent, favoring the incumbent. It showed Ms. Hochul ahead yet vulnerable. In California, Mr. McLaughlin recently conducted a poll that showed Republican nominee for Governor Steve Hilton badly trailing Democratic nominee Xavier Becerra. It showed Mr. Becerra holds a 15.7-point lead over Hilton in the race, tallying 55 percent support compared to Mr. Hilton’s 39.3 percent, with 4.9 percent undecided,In New York, early voting is already underway in the Governor’s race. More than 700,000 New Yorkers cast their ballots in the first three days of early voting, which is nearly double the turnout for the 2022 race for Governor.“Our polling and internal surveys across the state show a neck-and-neck race,” Mr. Blakeman said. “New Yorkers are fed up with Hochul’s crushing taxes, skyrocketing utility bills, and disastrous policies that have made our state unaffordable. I will lower taxes, cut utility bills, and put more money back in your pockets. New Yorkers deserve a governor who fights for them, not one who relies on misleading polls to declare victory before a single vote is counted.”With less than a week remaining until Election Day, the question remains: can Mr. Blakeman close the gap, with his fate diametrically opposed to a blue wave of Democratic enthusiasm that’s been reflected by early voting across the region?His campaign says yes, arguing that polling firms have underestimated independent voters that could be the key to victory in the race.“Previous polls conducted by Quinnipiac and Emerson have also found Blakeman leading among independent voters, further challenging the narrative that Hochul is cruising toward reelection,” Mr. Blakeman’s campaign said.

Blakeman Calls Negative Polls ‘Voter Suppression’ That Is Dissuading Republicans From Casting Ballots

Blakeman Calls Negative Polls ‘Voter Suppression’ That Is Dissuading Republicans From Casting Ballots

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