Donald J. Trump has hired a new pollster to help him capture an elusive Republican victory in New York, his home state, two people briefed on the move said.

The pollster, John McLaughlin, will be focusing exclusively on New York, polling to determine what type of climb Mr. Trump would face in a state that hasn’t voted for a Republican in a presidential race since Ronald Reagan in 1984. Mr. McLaughlin’s role was described by two campaign sources briefed on the move, who were not authorized to speak publicly.

A spokeswoman for Mr. Trump did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Mr. Trump has been adamant to aides and associates that he wants to win his home state in the November election. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, also lives in New York and served as the state’s senator for eight years.

It wasn’t immediately clear how extensive Mr. McLaughlin’s role will be, depending on what the initial survey shows. He is the second pollster to be hired by Mr. Trump, who often described polls as a waste of money during the primaries and insisted he could rely on the ones the media conducts to save money for himself.