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nypost.com

Long Island voters in both parties are consumed by economic dread — but they can’t agree on which financial issues mean the most to them or who is to blame, a new Post poll shows.

While both sides agreed that the economy is far from thriving, 47% of Democrats named “affordability” as their top concern, while a majority of Republicans, 36%, deemed “taxes” as the main culprit squeezing their pockets, according to the survey conducted June 22 by Flashpoint Strategies and Convos.

Bruce Blakeman, 10th County Executive of Nassau County, speaking at a podium with a blue background.
GOP gubernatorial candidate and Nassau County Exec Bruce Blakeman is trailing Gov. Kathy Hochul by 15 points, the new poll shows. Stefano Giovannini for NY Post

“The cost of living is the single biggest concern in both parties — but Democrats and Republicans describe the same economic pressure in opposite words,” said Tom Carroll, CEO of the AI-powered texting and polling platform, which spoke to 1,115 of Nassau and Suffolk counties’ likely voters.

“Democrats overwhelmingly call it ‘affordability’ and ‘cost of living.’ Republicans blame ‘taxes’ for the squeeze,” Carroll said.

On the flip side, only 5% of Democrats blamed taxes, whereas 21% of registered Republicans agreed that “affordability” is their top concern, according to the poll.

Still, when pushed to get specific, voters in both parties named the same villains as main drivers of their economic stress — groceries, gas, housing, healthcare, wages, and inflation.

Gov. Kathy Hochul meanwhile led gubernatorial foe and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman by 15 points, 53% to 38%, in the poll.

Governor Kathy Hochul at a press conference regarding a lawsuit against the Trump administration.
Hochul’s supporters on the island said President Trump is one of their biggest concerns. Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul

Her supporters generally cited President Trump, democracy, healthcare, housing and affordability as their vote-deciding concerns.

Blakeman led with voters who name taxes, immigration and crime as their main concerns, the poll read.