New York is starting to swing. Voters aren’t buying it.

Elected officials have warned that the deep blue state could soon become a battleground state, but Democratic voters remain hopeful.

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Democrats and Republicans have been laser-focused on winning over voters in seven key swing states this election, but New York Democrats worry they could soon be the eighth.

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine warned that New York is “now a battleground state” as several competitive races that could determine which party takes control of the House of Representatives rage on. 

New York City voters, however, aren’t worried.

“My suspicion is that we’re not close to being a real battleground state, certainly not for president,” said David Siffert, chair of the Legislative Affairs Committee of the Village Independent Democrats. “I’m not worried.”

Other voters expressed frustration with media outlets claiming that New York has shifted right.

“It’s fear-mongering,” Marianne Langston, an East Village resident, said. “Intelligent people live here

This election cycle, former President Donald Trump held campaign rallies in Manhattan and the Bronx. His opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, hasn’t campaigned in the city. 

In 2020, 44% of the 5.2 million votes cast for Joe Biden in the state were from New York City voters.

“I feel like you’re in a bit of a bubble when you’re in New York City,” said Alison K., a Manhattan resident who declined to share her last name. “The people who went to [Trump’s rallies] are from Long Island and Staten Island, which has always been the case.”

Trump has claimed there is a “very good chance” he’ll win New York. He lost the state by 23 points in 2020 and is trailing Harris by 19 points as of Oct. 17, according to a Times/Siena poll. 

Gov. Kathy Hochul called the state “Harris-Walz country" but has spent extensive time campaigning for Democrats running for seats in the House of Representatives.

“I think there's a lot of very successful propaganda out there, and I think that the way certain right-wing interests have influenced the media landscape in New York state has shifted things in that direction,” Siffert said. “We have been a battleground for governor, and I think returning to that world is possible.”