Townhall: GrayHouse Poll Highlights Elise Stefanik’s Strong Position in Potential Governor's Race

Published in Townhall

By Jeff Charles

Read the full article here.

A new poll conducted by GrayHouse, the Washington, D.C.–based polling and data analytics firm founded by Landon Wall, was featured in Townhall this week, offering an in-depth look at the political landscape for the 2026 New York gubernatorial election.

The GrayHouse survey of 826 voters found:

• Elise Stefanik leads the Republican primary field with 44% support, far ahead of Mike Lawler (7%) and Bruce Blakeman (5%).• Stefanik holds a strong net favorability rating of +47 among Republican voters (56% favorable / 9% unfavorable).• She also maintains a positive net favorability of +10 among Independents, outperforming other potential GOP candidates.

The poll revealed significant vulnerabilities for incumbent Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul:

• 61% of New Yorkers — including 75% of Independents and 34% of Democrats — say it is "time for someone new."• Hochul's net job approval rating stands at -18 overall (36% approve / 55% disapprove).• In a head-to-head matchup, Hochul leads Stefanik by just six points, failing to reach 47% support in any tested scenario — a red flag for an incumbent in a deep-blue state.

As Townhall notes:

"Should Congresswoman Elise Stefanik choose to enter the race for governor, she would begin the Republican primary in a dominant position and offer the GOP its strongest opportunity to defeat Governor Kathy Hochul in the 2026 general election," the GrayHouse report stated.

The findings reflect broader electoral trends showing a Republican shift in New York. In 2024, former President Donald Trump increased his vote total in New York by 600,000 votes compared to 2016, and Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 margin was the narrowest Democratic win in New York since 1992.

You can read the full Townhall article here.