Governor Kathy Hochul has seen a significant boost in her favorability, job approval, and re-election ratings, according to a new Siena College poll released on April 22, 2025.
This marks a notable shift in public sentiment, with Hochul’s favorability rating turning positive for the first time since January 2024, now standing at 44-43%, up from 40-50% in March.
Key Findings on Hochul:
- Favorability Rating: 44-43%, a positive shift.
- Job Approval: 48-45%, up from 46-48%.
- Re-election Preference: 39% of voters would re-elect her, compared to 48% who prefer “someone else,” improving from 34-56% in March.
- Hochul’s budget issues, such as restricting student smartphone use in schools and making it a crime to wear a mask to conceal identity while threatening someone, received strong support.
READ: More Bad News For Chuck Schumer, Survey Shows Majority View Dem Leader Unfavorably
“For the first time since January 2024, Hochul has a positive – barely – favorability rating, and for the first time since February 2024, a plurality of voters approves of the job she is doing as governor,” said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg. He noted improvements across party lines for favorability, with the most significant gains among independents, upstate voters, and women.
The poll also revealed strong to overwhelming opposition among New York voters to several proposals associated with the 45th president:
- Cutting federal funding to states: Opposed by 63% of voters.
- Laying off tens of thousands of federal employees: Opposed by 62%.
- Imposing a 100%+ tariff on imports from China: Opposed by 58%.
- Ordering the DOJ to investigate two officials from the 45th president’s first term: Opposed by 53%.
“A strong majority of Democrats opposes each proposal, as do a majority or plurality of independents,” Greenberg stated. While Republican support varied across these proposals, a plurality of Republicans joined a large majority of Democrats and independents in opposing cuts to state funding.
Schumer’s Favorability Hits Two-Decade Low; Ocasio-Cortez Leads Favorability:
In other findings, Senator Chuck Schumer’s favorability rating has dropped to 39-49%, his lowest in two decades of Siena College polls. Conversely, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez holds the highest favorability rating (47-33%) among those included in this month’s poll.
READ: Poll Shows AOC Could Take Chuck Schumer’s Senate Seat In 2028
“A first in a Siena College poll: Schumer is 10 points underwater, with a plurality of voters viewing him unfavorably,” Greenberg commented, highlighting a significant decline in support among Democrats, particularly liberals. Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez is viewed favorably by a strong majority of Democrats.
Other Key Poll Findings:
- A plurality of New York voters (47-35%) oppose building new nuclear power plants in the state.
- There is also a plurality of opposition (43-37%) to mandating that all school bus fleets be electric by 2035.
- Overall, 41% of New Yorkers believe the state is on the right track, an improvement from previous months.
The Siena College Poll surveyed 802 registered New York State voters between April 14-16, 2025. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 4.4 percentage points.
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