A plurality of New York voters believe the state is heading in the wrong direction, and just over half believe partisanship has gotten worse in the last two years, according to a poll released Friday by the non-partisan organization Unite NY.

The poll, conducted by John Zogby Strategies, found 47% of voters believe the state is on the wrong track, while only 37% believe it's in the right direction. At the same time, the percentage of voters polled who are considering or planning on leaving the state has increased over the last month from 34% to 39%.

Many of those voters cite high taxes as the primary reason for wanting to leave New York.

At the same time, 51% of voters polled believe partisan politics has gotten worse since 2020, and a same percentage believe the executive powers to address the COVID-19 pandemic have gone too far. The top issues according to voters: 48% say crime is a major issue to tackle, followed by taxes at 43%.

“The second edition of our Voter Empower Index sends a clear message that New Yorkers are not pleased with the direction of the state. Voter sentiment is headed in the wrong direction, to the point that now two in five New Yorkers are now looking to relocate," said Martin Babinec, the founder of Unite NY. "For two months in a row, these same voters have told us they are more likely to support candidates who advocate for reforms like increased ballot access, open primaries, and ranked choice voting. This sends a clear message that voters want reform, the question is, will elected officials listen?”

But for now, Gov. Kathy Hochul continues to handily lead the gubernatorial race. She receives 57% of support in a Democratic primary, with Rep. Tom Suozzi at 16% and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams at 14%.

Head-to-head with Republicans, she leads as well. Hochul leads Rep. Lee Zeldin, the state Republican Committee's preferred nominee, 50% to 35%.

“While Governor Hochul is posting impressive numbers and the GOP candidates may draw blood before their primary, New Yorkers are in a sour mood this year," pollster John Zogby said. "No lead is in the bag."

The poll of 1,003 registered voters has a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points. Crosstabs for the gubernatorial race can be found here; issues can be found here.