“For months, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York has trusted that the state’s strong Democratic majority would keep her in office largely on the strength of a simple message: Her Republican opponent was too close to Donald Trump and would roll back abortion rights,” the New York Times reports.

“But just two weeks before Election Day, a rapidly tightening contest has Ms. Hochul racing to expand her closing argument as Democrats warily concede they may have misjudged powerful fears driving the electorate, particularly around crime.”

A new Co/efficient poll in New York finds Lee Zeldin (R) in a dead heat with Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), 46% to 46%.

Wall Street Journal: “Mr. Zeldin, a Republican who represents the easternmost parts of Long Island in Congress, has made campaigning in New York City a priority in his effort to unseat Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. Some recent polls have shown the race tightening, with one survey this week putting Mr. Zeldin 4 percentage points behind the incumbent in a state that hasn’t elected a Republican to statewide office since 2002.”

“His outreach has been focused in areas outside of heavily Democratic Manhattan, such as Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach and the Elmhurst section of Queens. Republican candidates including Donald Trump made gains in those areas in 2020 from 2016.”

A new SurveyUSA poll in New York finds Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) now just 6 percentage points ahead of challenger Lee Zeldin (R), 47% to 41%.

Two months ago, Hochul led by 24 percentage points.

A new Quinnipiac poll in New York finds Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has a slight edge on challenger Lee Zeldin (R) in the race for governor, 50% to 46%.

A new Siena College poll in New York finds Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) lead over challenger Lee Zeldin (R) is now 11 points, 52% to 41%, down from 17 points three weeks ago.

A new Marist poll in New York finds Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) leading challenger Lee Zeldin (R) by 10 percentage points, 51% to 41%, a potential margin of victory that would be the narrowest in a New York governor’s race in nearly three decades.

New York Times: “Republicans running statewide in a Democrat-dominated state like New York often follow a predictable path toward the political center. On Sunday, though, Representative Lee Zeldin will take a different route — south to the Jersey Shore for a fund-raiser starring former President Donald Trump.”

“The high-profile rendezvous, at the palatial seaside retreat of old Trump real estate friends, has already prompted days of Democratic attacks against Mr. Zeldin, the Republican nominee for governor.”

“After months of speculation whether former Gov. Andrew Cuomo would make another run for his old job — less than a year after resigning in disgrace when faced with allegations of sexual harassment and wrongdoing — the deadline came and went with no paperwork filed by Cuomo,” NBC New York reports.

“The first deadline to get the Cuomo name back in the race of Democrats passed in April, but that wasn’t the long-time politician’s only shot back in the political arena. Tuesday marked his last chance to run for governor of New York by filing petitions to run as a third-party candidate.”

A new Siena poll in New York finds Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) with a commanding 40-point lead over both New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams (D) and Rep. Tom Suozzi (D) in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.

If former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) runs in the primary, Hochul has the support of 38% of Democrats, followed by Cuomo at 30%, Suozzi at 10% and Williams at 7%.

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said that he’s not only open to running for governor again, he would “consider creating his own political party to do so,” Bloomberg reports.

Cuomo is quoted by Politico: “I have a lot of options open, and I’m considering them.”

“Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is considering a run against his replacement and fellow Democrat, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), as part of an attempt at a comeback after resigning in disgrace amid multiple accusations of sexual harassment by former aides,” CNBC reports.

“His aides have been conducting their own internal voter polling on a potential matchup… After a recent public poll from Emerson College showed Cuomo was a few points behind Hochul, the former governor received calls from allies encouraging him to run against Hochul.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has raised $21.6 million for her reelection campaign — “a record-smashing sum that positions her as the prohibitive favorite to win a full term as governor this fall,” the New York Times reports.

Former New York City mayor Bill de Blasio (D) announced that he will not run for governor.

New York Times: “Three months after Ms. Hochul’s unexpected ascension as the state’s first female governor, next year’s Democratic primary contest is now veering toward something New York has not seen in decades: a freewheeling intraparty battle among some of the state’s best-known political figures.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) is planning to soon announce she’s running for governor of New York, The City reports.

A new Siena poll in New York finds Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) leads her closest possible Democratic primary opponent by between 14 and 19 points in three possible scenarios.

And this is interesting: “Former President Donald Trump has long been the pol with the lowest favorability rating among New York voters. No more. Trump has a 37-59 percent favorability rating, net 22 points negative. Andrew Cuomo is 33-60 percent, net 27 points negative. And Bill de Blasio is 25-56 percent, net 31 points negative.”

Top aides to then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) sought a job in the Biden administration for then-Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) “so they could remove her from the gubernatorial ticket ahead of his planned bid for a fourth term in 2022,” the Washington Post reports.

“Cuomo’s office told Hochul early this year that they wanted… someone with a deeper political pull with minority communities.”