NEW STATEWIDE POLL SHOWS OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR GOV. HOCHUL’S PLAN TO LOWER AUTO INSURANCE RATES IN NEW YORK

Near-Universal Agreement: New Yorkers Say Auto Insurance Rates Are “Too Damn High,” 86% Back Governor Hochul’s Reform Plan

NEW YORK – A new statewide survey of New York voters conducted by Beacon Research finds overwhelming agreement that auto insurance rates are out of control, and that Governor Kathy Hochul has the right plan to fix them. The polling memo, from a survey of 1,004 New York voters, shows that 86 percent of voters support the Governor’s proposed reforms to the state’s auto insurance system, underscoring the urgent need for action.

Key Findings:

  • 86% of voters support the Governor’s proposed reforms to the auto insurance system.

  • Three-quarters of voters (77%) believe auto insurance rates in New York are higher than in other states.

  • 75% say auto insurance costs are a financial burden on their household.

  • 60% believe auto insurance fraud is common, including staged crashes and fraudulent claims.

  • 57% of voters approve of the job Governor Hochul is doing.


Support for reform is broad and bipartisan. More than 80% of Democrats, Republicans, and independent voters back the Governor’s plan, with similarly strong support across every region of the state.

“From bagels to baseball, New Yorkers are known for arguing about everything – but on one issue we’re completely aligned: car insurance rates are too damn high, and Albany has to fix it,” said James Freedland, spokesperson for Citizens for Affordable Rates. “Honest drivers are sick of paying a ‘fraud tax’ for staged car crashes and scams. Eighty-six percent of voters – Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike – support Governor Hochul’s plan to make car insurance more affordable. Lawmakers need to take action to put that money back where it belongs – in New Yorkers’ pockets.

The survey underscores that tackling auto insurance costs is not a partisan issue, but an affordability issue that unites New Yorkers across political and geographic lines.

Methodology

The survey of 1,004 New York voters was conducted online from January 29 to February 3, 2026. Respondents were randomly selected from an online panel and matched to an up-to-date voter file. Slight weighting was applied to reflect known and estimated demographics of the electorate. The survey has a credibility interval of ±3% at the 95% confidence level.