New Yorkers’ top concerns are cost of living and crime: Siena poll

ALBANY — Crime and cost of living remain top concerns for New Yorkers, who also feel Gov. Hochul fell short of accomplishing several goals set earlier this year, according to a new Siena College poll released Tuesday.

Nearly two-thirds of voters, 63%, say the cost of living should be one of the top two priorities for Hochul and state lawmakers as the governor enters her first full term in office, followed by crime at 58%.

“Voters can’t say it clearly enough,” Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said. “They’ve said crime is a serious problem for a year; they see it as a serious problem now; they don’t think Hochul has made progress on making communities safer; and, they want their elected officials to address it as a top priority in 2023.”

The poll also found that a majority of voters feel that Hochul did not make progress on six of the goals she laid out for 2022, including making communities safer, enhancing trust in state government, transforming SUNY, and making the state a place people want to live, not leave.

In January, Siena asked voters if they thought Hochul would make progress on six of the goals she outlined in her first State of the State address, according to Greenberg.

On two — increasing the availability of quality medical care and creating conditions for businesses to succeed — voters were somewhat optimistic she would make progress.

On the other four, voters were closely divided. The latest Siena survey found few New Yorkers feel Hochul made little headway when it came to her agenda.

“Today, when asked whether the Hochul Administration did or did not make progress on these goals, voters give a resounding ‘no,’ ” Greenberg said. “A majority or strong plurality say she did not make progress on any of them. Fewer than one-third of voters say her administration made progress on any of the goals.”

However, Hochul’s favorability rating and job approval rating both remain in positive territory after dipping slightly from October. Roughly 49% of New Yorkers approve of how Hochul is doing.

Rep. Lee Zeldin , the Republican candidate who lost the governor’s race to Hochul last month, is enjoying a post-election bump in popularity as his favorability rating rose 18 points over the past month, the survey found.

Hochul made history as the first woman elected to lead the Empire State, besting Zeldin by 6 points in a tighter-than-anticipated race. She will deliver her first State of the State address since the election on Jan. 10. The speech gives the governor a chance to let New Yorkers know her priorities and plans for the upcoming legislative session as well as the next four years.

Hochul has already signaled in recent weeks that cracking down on illegal guns, crime and building more affordable housing will be central themes.