Poll: Rep. Zeldin Leads Andrew Giuliani by 8 in NY GOP Gov Primary

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo remains a potential spoiler as a third-party candidate — one that might aid the GOP case against Gov. Kathy Hochul in November's general election — according to the latest Emerson College Polling/PIX-11/The Hill poll.

Andrew Giuliani is in striking distance of Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., for the New York GOP gubernatorial primary, but it is the potential candidacy of Cuomo that might put the nation's second-largest deep-blue state in play for the GOP nominee.

Gov. Hochul has 45% support and a 33-point lead over Tom Suozzi in the Democrat primary polling, while Zeldin (26%) is up 8 points on Giuliani (18%). That is just one point outside the poll's margin of error of 7 percentage points.

Cuomo still draws support and can play spoiler as a third-party candidate after he was forced to resign amid sexual harassment allegations.

If Cuomo were to run as an independent this November, the Republican nominee earns a dead heat of 33% support with the Democrat nominee, very likely Hochul. Cuomo draws just 16% support, and there are 18% still undecided in the poll.

"Support for Cuomo as a third-party candidate grows with age: 20% of voters over 65 would support Cuomo as a third-party candidate, compared to 9% of those between 18 and 29," according to Emerson College Poll Executive Director Spencer Kimball.

GOP gubernatorial primary results in the poll, with 19% still undecided:

• Zeldin 26%.
• Giuliani 18%.
• Rob Astorino 16%.

The poll shows Hochul's net negative disapproval (45%) of 9 points (36% approval) leaving the race open. The Democrat primary results in the poll, with 22% still undecided:

• Hochul 45%.
• Suozzi 12%.

There is a large opposition to New York giving $600 million in the state budget for a new stadium for the NFL's Buffalo Bills: 67% oppose, 17% approve, and 16% are unsure.

"There is little appetite among voters for the $600 million funding of a new Bills stadium, even in the upstate region where the stadium would be located; only a quarter, 25%, of voters support the measure," Kimball added.

The Emerson College Polling conducted the May 1-3 poll for PIX-11 and The Hill among 1,000 registered voters and a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The Democratic primary poll consisted of 444 likely Democrat primary voters, with a plus or minus 4.6 percentage-point margin of error, while the Republican primary polled 192 likely Republican primary voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 7 percentage points.

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