Zeldin keeps closing gap

Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin is down by just six points against Gov. Hochul in two polls released Friday, as her electoral struggles continue ahead of the first day of early voting on Sunday.

In a poll by the left-leaning Slingshot Strategies released in the morning, the incumbent governor led 48% to 42%, with 24% of voters ranking crime as their top issue alongside 14% for inflation and 10% for gun violence.

“We do see a genuine enthusiasm gap where Zeldin actually leads with the most likely voters to turn out,” Slingshot pollster Jeff Coote said.

The poll of 1,000 likely voters, which had a margin of error of 3.1%, was not the only sign that Hochul’s position is continuing to slide.

A second poll released hours later by PIX11 News/Emerson College Polling/The Hill found Hochul with a 50% to 44% lead against Zeldin, who has gained roughly 10 points in the polls while using voter concerns on public safety and rising prices to bash Hochul, whose campaign largely ignored his attacks in recent months.

Her campaign declined to comment on the polls Friday.

“The energy, the momentum is real, and it’s not Republicans filling up the seats — it’s Republicans and Democrats and independents,” Zeldin (above) said at a campaign stop in Brooklyn where he received the endorsement of the 3,900member Subway Surface Supervisors Association following the Thursday hijacking of an MTA bus.

“The people in government need to have the backs of their riders, and the people in government need to take back our streets and restore safety,” Zeldin added.