By: Jared Evan

Rep. Ritchie Torres is neck-and-neck with Governor Kathy Hochul among New York City Democrats in a potential 2026 gubernatorial primary, according to a poll first reported by the New York Post.

The poll, conducted by the Honan Strategy Group for the Jewish Voters Action Network, found Torres with 37% support and Hochul with 38% among likely Democratic voters in the five boroughs, with 25% still undecided. The city’s heavily Democratic voter base is crucial in any statewide primary—and this close result has raised eyebrows across the political spectrum.

As first detailed in the New York Post, the poll also included a focused sample of Jewish Democratic voters, a politically influential bloc in New York. Among those voters, Hochul led 40% to 31%, with 29% undecided. Both candidates have consistently defended Israel and taken a strong stance against antisemitism, but Torres’s support among Jewish voters—despite facing an incumbent governor—signals growing appeal within the community.

First reported by the New York Post, the survey sampled 1,136 Democrats, including 412 likely Jewish Democratic voters. The margin of error is ±2.89%.

Torres’s rising profile is fueled in part by his reputation as a moderate and his unwavering pro-Israel views, which have earned him admiration well beyond traditional Democratic circles. A gay Afro-Latino congressman from the South Bronx, Torres combines progressive social policies with pragmatic governance—supporting increased policing, urban renewal, and U.S.-Israel ties. These stances have made him especially popular with Jewish voters and crossover moderates.

As the New York Post has previously highlighted, Torres has repeatedly criticized antisemitism from both the left and right and has been one of Israel’s most vocal defenders in Congress. His sharp rebuke of the BDS movement and outspoken support during the 2023 Hamas conflict solidified his standing among pro-Israel New Yorkers.

“Ritchie Torres has long demonstrated that you can be progressive and pro-Israel at the same time,” said Maury Litwack, founder of the Jewish Voters Action Network, in comments reported by the New York Post. He noted the poll intentionally oversampled Jewish voters to better understand shifting political attitudes within that key demographic.

By contrast, Governor Hochul, while still holding the advantages of incumbency and broad name recognition, has seen her support soften in recent months. Her approval ratings have dipped below 50%, and many voters have signaled a desire for new leadership in Albany.

Still, some political insiders are downplaying the poll’s significance. Jay Jacobs, state Democratic Party chairman and a Hochul ally, dismissed the results, telling the New York Post, “It sounds like a flawed poll. I wouldn’t pay attention to it whatsoever.” Jacobs added that the findings conflict with a recent Siena College poll showing Hochul far ahead, with 44% support statewide compared to just 13% for Torres and 9% for Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado.

Statewide, the Siena poll had Hochul leading with 46%, while Torres and Delgado trailed at 10% and 12%, respectively. However, that poll surveyed registered voters, not likely primary participants—a key distinction when evaluating early primary matchups.

The Honan Strategy Group poll found Hochul faring better against Delgado than Torres, leading him 42% to 28% in New York City, with 30% undecided. Among Jewish Democrats, she had a wider edge—40% to Delgado’s 23%.

Meanwhile, potential Republican challengers are also circling. The New York Post reports that GOP Reps. Elise Stefanik and Mike Lawler, as well as Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, are all considering bids for governor.