Pataki Says Blakeman Can Pull Off Upset Win, Citing 1994 Election

Former New York Governor George Pataki believes Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman can still win the state's top office, drawing on his own experience of defying pre-election polls in 1994 to defeat incumbent Mario Cuomo. Pataki, the last Republican to hold the governorship, asserted that the only poll that truly matters is the one cast by voters on Election Day.

Pataki's 1994 victory came despite numerous polls showing him trailing by significant margins. He recalled a New York Daily News straw poll released the Sunday before the election, which predicted a 17-point loss to Cuomo. Pataki ultimately won by 4 points, a discrepancy he attributes to the unreliability of polling.

"If anybody knows to doubt the polls, it's me because I've seen how inaccurate they can be," Pataki said on 77 WABC radio's "Cats Roundtable" program. He noted that the same poll that predicted his loss had Cuomo ahead by 14 points.

Blakeman has similarly criticized recent independent polls from Siena, Quinnipiac, and Marist colleges, which indicate Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul holds double-digit leads. Despite demographic shifts in New York since 1994, with more enrolled Democrats and a greater concentration of voters in New York City, Pataki pointed to Hochul's narrow 6-point victory over Republican Lee Zeldin in 2022 as evidence that electoral outcomes can differ from polling predictions.

Pataki endorsed Blakeman's campaign, praising his focus on tax cuts and reducing utility costs. He warned that a Hochul victory could lead to policies influenced by more progressive factions, citing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as an example. "If we keep things the way we are, Mamdani — mark my words — is basically going to be telling the Albany politicians what to do. And that will mean higher taxes and other policies that hurt New York," Pataki stated. He expressed concern that Democrats like Mamdani advocate for increased taxes and spending on programs that he believes are inefficient and foster dependency.

Pataki urged Republicans who may be dissatisfied with the national political climate not to overlook the importance of the state-level election in Albany. "This isn't about Washington. This is about Albany, and we need change in Albany," he concluded.