Kamala Harris widens lead over Donald Trump in New York. Here's what pundits say the new poll could mean for the House race.
NEW YORK -- According to a new poll, Kamala Harris has widened her lead over former President Donald Trump in New York, and it attributes the jump to the vice president picking up steam in the suburbs and upstate.
The latest Siena College poll on Long Island has Harris leading by 19 percentage points -- 58-39, with a margin of error of 4.2.
CBS News New York's Marcia Kramer spoke to a political expert on Tuesday about what it could mean for other key races in the state.
Here's what else the Siena College poll says
New York might not be a battleground state in the presidential election, but it sure will play a key roll in determining which party controls the House of Representatives, and it seems that Harris' popularity here is helping in the battle to flip five Republican seats into the blue column.
"New York historically has been a lynchpin for who controls Congress," political consultant O'Brien Murray said.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has opened 65 offices around the state in a campaign attempting to unseat the five freshman Republicans who won in 2022.
And she got some good news in the new Siena College poll.
Democrat Laura Gillen, the former Hempstead town supervisor has opened up a 12-point lead over Rep. Anthony D'Esposito in the 4th Congressional District in Nassau County. The poll has Gillen at 53 and D'Esposito at 41, with a margin of error of 4.4.
In Suffolk County's 1st Congressional District, former CNN anchor John Avlon is breathing down the neck of Rep. Nick Lalota. The poll has Lalota at 47 and Avlon at 44, with a margin of error of 4.5.
Democratic optimism ramps up
The new poll is good news for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is hoping to become the first Black speaker of the House if he can flip just four seats.
"If you were Hakeem Jeffries and you see these two polls, are you optimistic?" Kramer asked Murray.
"I'm optimistic, and I'm going to see what surrogates I can give those campaigns. I'm going to give them all the support I can," Murray replied.
Experts say the Harris statewide lead could help the Democrats flip Republican seats in the Hudson Valley and Syracuse.
"Absolutely. I mean, if Harris is up by 19 and she stays that way, that makes all the difference," Murray said.
