Nwe York Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino is keeping his eye on the prize and disregards general perception he has a zero chance against Democratic incumbent Andrew Cuomo in the coming midterms.

According to a Sienne poll published Wednesday, Astorino is trailing behind Cuomo 54-33 percent. But the GOP hopeful appears to have dismissed poll results as he confidently shares that the race is actually much closer, the Washington Post relayed.

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Cuomo is probably feeling it too that's why he's lashing out and making all these angry and irrational statements against me, Astorino said.

He's become "volatile" and "unhinged," he added.

Astorino has claimed the polls gap only motivates him to work harder. He referred to a race he was involved in 2009 when he won against a favored Democrat.

"At the time, analysts had already written me off," he said.

The Westchester county official explained his optimism was fuelled by Cuomo's moderate performance at the primaries, the recent increase in donors, and by assurances from ex-Gov. George Pataki who had run and won against Cuomo's father in the same race two decades ago.

But political analysts speculate the 20 percent Cuomo holds over Astorino may be too great of a gap to overcome with only a few days left before the elections.

Astorino's ads have barely caused a dent on Cuomo's well-financed campaigns.

Donna Herring, a Democrat voter who exchanged warm words with Astorino on Tuesday, said that while the GOP was nice, at the end of the day, she would still vote Democrat.

Unless a major scandal implicating Cuomo breaks, I don't think the numbers would change, said Robert Shapiro, a political science professor at Columbia University.

But while Cuomo won the lead by 21 percent in the Sienna poll, it also found Astorino had maintained a slim lead in the suburbs and among likely male voters.

Democratic insiders have suggested Cuomo may be feeling the stress of the race too, the New York Post noted.

TagsAndrew Cuomo, Rob Astorino, New York gubernatorial race, Sienna poll, Republican