Free Republic

Governor Kathy Hochul’s once-commanding lead over Republican Bruce Blakeman has eroded by half in three months, collapsing from 26 points in January to just 13 points, according to the latest Siena Research Institute poll. The result marked a 7-point tightening from February, as independents shifted toward Blakeman even as Hochul’s favorability and job approval ratings held steady. […] The state has not elected a Republican governor since 2002, but the Siena poll showed movement toward Blakeman for the second consecutive month, signaling potential vulnerability for Hochul if the trend persists into the budget season and broader campaign. …

Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that she believed former President Donald Trump was “weak” and a “charlatan.” Whitmer said, “He’s a charlatan. He’s convinced people he is strong when he’s actually very weak. He told Michiganders no plants would close. Six closed. He just came into Detroit and denigrated the city of Detroit. He shows his ignorance. He doesn’t appreciate what the renaissance actually is in the city of Detroit. He denigrated autoworkers, saying children could do their jobs. He likes to pretend he’s tough, but in the reality, he’s weak.”

Several New York Republicans are calling for an investigation into New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) after the arrest of a former top aide for working as an agent of influence of China. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), and Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) were among the Republicans who have called for an investigation surrounding Linda Sun, 41, and her husband, Chris Hu, after federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging Sun, a naturalized American citizen who was born in China, conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, failure to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, money...