Joseph Spector

Gannett Albany Bureau

ALBANY, N.Y. — Donald Trump expects to win the Republican nomination for president, and he predicted that upstate New York would help him beat Hillary Clinton in November.

And why not, according to Trump?

He says he's the most popular person in upstate New York — possibly ever.

"Upstate New York, I’m like the most popular person that’s ever lived, virtually, upstate New York," Trump, the New York City billionaire and GOP presidential frontrunner, said on CNN on Sunday. "They are great friends of mine. We will do very well in New York. I don’t know. Maybe win it, maybe not, but we’re going to come awfully close to winning it. I think I have a great chance."

Trump has a sizable footprint through the Hudson Valley: He owns three golf courses that bear his name, as well as three upscale condominium towers in Westchester County. He also has a state park named after him — which now is a point of contention.

And Trump toured upstate in 2014 as he toyed with a run for governor, ripping Gov. Andrew Cuomo for his policies and attending an Albany rally in opposition to New York's gun-control law, the SAFE Act. He decided not to run.

A Siena College poll earlier this month said 55% of New York Democrats backed Clinton, who lives in Chappaqua, Westchester County, for president on the Democratic side, while Trump came out on top on the GOP side.

Trump had the support from 34% of New York Republicans polled compared with 16% each for Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, the poll found. New York's presidential primary is April 19.

But the poll also found that Trump had a low favorability rating: Just 25% of New York voters viewed him favorably, compared with 71% who view him unfavorably. In upstate, he was slightly more liked: 66% unfavorable to 28% favorable.

Among Republicans, Trump had a 51% favorable, 43% unfavorable rating.

Just to have New York in the conversation as a competitive state would be an accomplishment. Ronald Reagan was the last Republican to win the heavily blue New York in a presidential race. That was in 1984.

In New York, Clinton came out on top 57% to 32% against Trump, the poll showed. Sanders would beat Trump even more: 63% to 30%, Siena said.

Trump, fresh off his Saturday win in South Carolina, said he expects like New York and Michigan to be in play if he's the nominee versus Clinton, who he predicted would beat Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination.

"I will win places like Michigan that people don’t even talk about," Trump said on CNN. "I will have a chance of winning New York. If I win New York, the election is over, OK, from an Electoral College standpoint."