NEW YORK, N.Y. โ Jewish voters in New York are showing signs of a potentially significant political shift as dissatisfaction with the Democratic Socialists of America and concerns about the state’s direction coincide with unusually strong Republican support ahead of the November elections.
A Siena College poll conducted Aug. 3 to 6 among 811 likely New York voters found particularly strong opposition to the DSA among Jewish respondents. Published reporting on the Siena results puts the group’s unfavorable rating among Jewish voters at 71%, the highest level recorded among demographic groups other than Republicans and conservative voters.
The figure differs from the 75% cited by Republican State Senate candidate Alina Bonsell’s campaign in announcing the results. The Siena figure reported publicly Wednesday was 71%.
The broader statewide electorate was also skeptical of the socialist organization. Siena found 47% of likely voters viewed the DSA unfavorably, compared with 30% who viewed it favorably and 23% who were unsure. Among Democrats, however, the picture was substantially different. Half viewed the organization favorably, while 21% viewed it negatively.
The contrast highlights an emerging political challenge for Democrats seeking to maintain their historically strong support among Jewish New Yorkers while the DSA exercises growing influence within progressive politics.
Republican Support Among Jewish Voters Draws Attention
Other results from the Siena survey reinforce that tension.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman received support from 42% of Jewish respondents in his contest against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, according to reporting on the poll. Statewide, Hochul led Blakeman 49% to 39%.
That does not establish that Jewish New Yorkers have become a Republican constituency. Jewish voters have historically leaned Democratic, and the Jewish subsample in a statewide poll is considerably smaller than the full sample, meaning subgroup results should be interpreted cautiously.
It does, however, provide another indication that Republican candidates are competing for a larger share of New York’s Jewish vote than might traditionally have been expected.
The Siena survey also found New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani remained deeply unpopular among Jewish respondents. Sixty-six per cent of Jewish voters surveyed viewed Mamdani unfavorably, even as his standing within New York City remained strong.
The results come as disagreements over Israel, Zionism, antisemitism and the political left continue to influence debate within New York’s Jewish community.
DSA Becomes a Political Fault Line
The DSA’s growing profile has become particularly important since Mamdani’s rise to City Hall.
While the organization enjoys significant support among younger voters and parts of New York City’s progressive electorate, Siena’s polling indicates that its appeal falls sharply outside those constituencies. Only 16% of suburban respondents and 27% of upstate respondents viewed the DSA favorably.
For Jewish voters, Israel policy represents an additional point of contention.
Mamdani has supported the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel and backed ending New York City’s investment in Israel Bonds. During his 2025 mayoral campaign, he also faced sustained criticism over his response to the phrase “globalize the intifada.” He later said he would discourage use of the phrase.
Those positions have contributed to a complicated relationship between Mamdani and significant sections of New York’s Jewish community.
At the same time, Mamdani has received support from Jewish politicians and organizations on the political left, illustrating that Jewish political opinion remains far from monolithic.
Krueger’s Mamdani Endorsement Enters State Senate Race
Those divisions are now emerging in individual races.
In Manhattan’s 28th State Senate District, Republican Alina Bonsell is challenging longtime Democratic Sen. Liz Krueger.
Krueger endorsed Mamdani during the 2025 mayoral campaign after initially supporting then-Comptroller Brad Lander in the Democratic primary. In announcing her support, Krueger argued that Democrats should back Mamdani while holding him accountable as mayor.
The endorsement is likely to feature prominently in Bonsell’s effort to win Jewish voters in a district that includes parts of Manhattan with substantial Jewish populations.
Bonsell seized on the new Siena findings Wednesday.
“This poll should be a wake-up call for Jewish Democrats across New York,” Bonsell said in a statement. “The message from Jewish voters is becoming increasingly clear: they are concerned about the growing influence of the Democratic Socialists of America and the direction in which this movement is taking our city and our state.”
She argued that Democratic candidates could no longer assume continued Jewish support.
“For too long, many Democratic politicians have assumed that voters will continue to support them regardless of how far the party moves to the left,” Bonsell said.
The comments represent Bonsell’s interpretation of the poll rather than a conclusion reached by Siena.
A Shift, but Not Yet a Realignment
The distinction is important.
One statewide poll cannot establish a durable partisan realignment among Jewish New Yorkers. Jewish voters encompass Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and secular communities, along with substantial differences in geography, age, income and political ideology.
But the latest results add to evidence that Republicans are making a competitive appeal to at least part of the state’s Jewish electorate.
The gubernatorial numbers are particularly notable. Blakeman, who is Jewish, drew 42% support among Jewish respondents while challenging a Democratic incumbent in one of the country’s most reliably Democratic states.
Whether that dissatisfaction ultimately translates into Republican victories remains uncertain.
What the Siena findings make clearer is that New York’s Jewish electorate cannot automatically be treated as politically static. Opposition to the DSA, concerns surrounding Israel and antisemitism, and attitudes toward the direction of Democratic politics are creating an increasingly competitive environment for Jewish votes.
With the Nov. 3 elections approaching, Republicans such as Bonsell are seeking to turn that dissatisfaction into votes.
Democrats, meanwhile, face a different challenge: determining whether the growing influence of the party’s socialist and anti-Israel flank risks weakening a relationship with Jewish voters that has endured for generations.
