Republican Bruce Blakeman is chipping away at Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul’s lead in the race for governor, a new independent poll reveals. Hochul’s lead over Blakeman , the current Nassau County executive, plunged from 20 percentage points to 13 points among registered New York state voters over the past month, according to the Siena College survey released Tuesday. Hochul now leads Blakeman 47% to 34%, down from a 51% to 31% advantage for the incumbent in February. Part of the shift