A poll shows that a majority of New Yorkers prefer a challenger to Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul.

A recent poll shows that while Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul's approval ratings are increasing, a majority of New Yorkers would prefer someone else to be their governor in 2026.

A Siena College poll conducted Dec. 2-5 and released on Tuesday showed that only 33% of registered voters in New York state would vote to re-elect Hochul for a second four-year term, while 57% wanted someone else.

At this early stage, only 48% of Democrats are prepared to re-elect Hochul, while 40% want someone else.

Among independents, the percentage of voters who prefer another candidate increases to 65%, while among Republicans, it rises to 85%.

In August 2021, Hochul, who was the state's lieutenant governor at the time, was sworn in as New York's first female governor after Cuomo resigned in disgrace due to multiple scandals.

In 2022, she won a four-year term as governor of New York by defeating then-Rep. Lee Zeldin by just over six points. This was the best showing by a Republican gubernatorial nominee in blue-state New York since then-GOP Gov. George Pataki won re-election to a third term in 2002.

In July, Hochul announced her intention to run for re-election in 2026.

The New York City congestion pricing plan, set to take effect next month, appears to be hurting Governor Hochul's polling.

Starting today, vehicles entering Midtown and Lower Manhattan during peak hours will be charged $9, while those entering at non-peak hours will pay $2.25.

A 51%-29% majority of voters are against Hochul's plan, with 56% of New York City voters and six in 10 downstate residents included in this opposition.

The Governor's favorability rating has improved for the second consecutive poll, according to Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg.

In October, Hochul's favorable rating was 36%-51%, while her job approval rating as governor was 41%-51%. Now, her favorable rating has increased to 39%-49%, and her job approval rating as governor has jumped to 46%-49%.

Despite Greenberg's efforts, Hochul's favorability ratings have remained consistently low, with no positive ratings since January and never reaching 50% or more voters viewing her favorably.

"All things being equal, voters prefer a Democrat over a Republican to be the next governor, 52-34%," he added.

In 2026, there is a possibility that Hochul, the Democratic governor of New York, may lose to a Republican, which would be the first time in 30 years.