President Joe Biden is facing a competitive race in New York, a state he won by 23 points just four years ago, with elected officials, union leaders, and political consultants are sounding the alarm over polls showing a steady erosion of Biden’s support in the state, a new Politico report says. Private polls conducted in a swing New York House district found former President Donald Trump leading Biden by 1 point, a virtual tie. Public polls over the last four months found Biden’s lead had winnowed to just 8 points across New York, an unusually narrow gap in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2 to 1. Democratic leaders are urging Biden to pour resources into New York to shore up his campaign and boost Democrats running in a half-dozen swing districts that could determine control of the House. However, Biden aides have committed no significant resources to the state, expecting an easy win. The warning signs are impossible to ignore, and Democrats are worried about the implications for control of Congress. A contested race in New York would exacerbate Biden’s reelection troubles and cost him time and money he’d rather be spending on the country’s six swing states. Top statewide Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have signaled public support for Biden, but Schumer has been sparing in his public comments about Biden since the president’s debate performance nearly two weeks ago. Democrats have been on a winning streak in New York since 2006, but GOP candidates flipped enough suburban House seats to help their party maintain control of the chamber two years ago. A GOP presidential candidate hasn’t won New York since Ronald Reagan’s rout of Walter Mondale in 1984. Support for Biden among New York Democrats is flagging, and some are advising their party’s candidates to disavow Biden on the campaign trail to bolster their own candidacies. Messaging on abortion rights or the threat Trump poses to democracy may not be enough to secure a win. The Biden campaign declined to comment on the concerns from Democrats in New York, referring Politico to the state Democratic Party. Spokesperson Jen Goodman said Biden would win because voters in the state don’t want Trump in the White House again. Despite the stakes, elected officials and political leaders worry Democrats are sleepwalking in New York, and Biden needs to step in to remind New Yorkers why they should be voting for him. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)