ALBANY — The New York governor’s race has emerged as one of the most closely watched contests in the nation, with polls showing Republican Lee Zeldin has overcome a Democratic enrollment advantage to move within striking distance of Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Before Zeldin won a GOP primary four months ago, some Republican activists questioned whether he would be the strongest candidate the GOP could field against Hochul.

But with the Nov. 8 election drawing closer, some Democrats are expressing concern about Hochul’s drop in statewide polling Two months ago, Hochul, former lieutenant governor to Andrew Cuomo, who resigned in August 2021, led Zeldin by 24 points in a SurveyUSA poll.

By Thursday, the same poll showed Zeldin had whittled Hochul’s lead to six points.

Other polls show Hochul’s advantage to be only slightly better, but also confirm the candidate with momentum is Zeldin. And he is no longer being discussed as an improbable longshot.

Zeldin’s ascent in the polls is in sync with national polls showing many voters are worried about rampant inflation in the national economy and concerned about their own vulnerability to violent crime.

Hochul has been focused on promoting her support for abortion rights in a state where a woman’s right to reproductive decisions was codified in state law three years ago. On Friday, she released a new ad, depicting herself as a champion of public safety, a significant shift in her campaign’s messaging, one that coincides with the increasing threat posed by Zeldin.

Luke Perry, a political science professor at Utica University, said a reigning political party can become the object of voter frustration, giving a boost to a challenger from the outside.

“Republicans are primed to have more enthusiasm, because we’ve seen Democrats control all the major parts of New York state government and all major parts of the federal government as well,” Perry said. “So it’s a lot easier to motivate people against political opponents they don’t like and have them turn out to vote then it is to try to motivate your fellow party members to hold the line and keep your side in power.”

Perry said New York Democrats may also be paying a price for gerrymandering legislative and congressional districts during the redistricting process only to be overruled in the courts.

“I do think there can be discomfort when one party has supermajorities in the state Legislature, and then that is compounded by certain moves, such as the gerrymandering of districts,” he said.

In a clear sign of concern about the latest trend in New York, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, a Democrat, suggested Friday that Democratic volunteers from New York City who have been helping campaigns in other states turn their attention now to the tightening New York state races.

“Please, please focus some of your energy on NY,” Levine said in a tweet. “The statewide races are extremely close and we need to focus on Dem turnout here down the home stretch.”

There is also new Democratic concern that two upstate congressional districts once seen as leaning to the Democratic candidates have tightened — the 19th District, pitting Republican Marc Molinaro against Democrat Josh Riley, and the 17th District, where incumbent Rep. Sean Maloney, D-Cold Spring, is being challenged by Assemblyman Mike Lawler, R-Rockland County.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden is slated to make his second visit to the upstate region next Thursday, when he is expected to visit Syracuse next Thursday, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, following the recent selection of a site in nearby Clay for a Micron Technology chip manufacturing plant.

Biden, in a stop in Poughkeepsie two weeks ago, plugged Democratic congressional candidates in the Hudson Valley.

As for the governor’s race, whether Zeldin can maintain his current pace is a matter of speculation.

Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College poll, explained having momentum in a race isn’t itself the spark for additional traction.

“It doesn’t mean momentum either continues or reverses,” Miringoff said. “It depends on public opinion. The momentum itself doesn’t create its own reality.”

Zeldin has challenged Hochul to multiple debates across the state, including at least one in the upstate region. The Hochul camp has agreed to one debate, slated to be held next Tuesday.

Early voting in New York begins Oct. 29.