In a Quinnipiac University poll of the race between Hochul and Republican Lee Zeldin, 28 percent of likely voters surveyed named crime as the most urgent issue facing the state
, 28 percent of likely voters surveyed named crime as the most urgent issue facing the state.
The Hochul campaign downplayed the polling in a statement. But since then, it has focused almost exclusively on the issues of crime and public safety with two weeks to go until Election Day. First came a newlast week that talked about her “comprehensive crime plan,” saying the legislation strengthened bail laws, tackled illegal guns, and worked to help the unhoused and those struggling with mental health.
that Hochul was only taking the issue seriously because of his rise in the polls. “Why is Kathy Hochul waiting until the day after the first poll that says we’re in the lead — two and a half weeks before the election — before she’s doing this?” he said.