Cuomo Still Leads Astorino by 35 Points as Ratings Slip
While Strongly Seen As Effective Governor, Under Cuomo Voters Don’t See Improved State Government, Business Climate, Economy, Education Quality
Voters: Strong Support for SAFE Act a Year After Passage; Support for State Funding College for Inmates; Opposition to NY Dream Act
Loudonville, NY. Governor Andrew Cuomo leads Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, the only declared Republican candidate for governor, 61-26 percent (down from 64-22 percent last month). There was slippage as well in Cuomo’s job performance and generic ‘re-elect’ ratings, according to a Siena College Poll of New York voters released today. By a 64-28 percent margin, voters say Cuomo has been an effective governor. However, on seven of a series of eight issues, only between 15 and 26 percent of voters said that issue has improved since Cuomo’s been governor, while between 24 and 45 percent of voters said it has gotten worse.
A year after its enactment, New Yorkers support the SAFE Act by a two-to-one margin. Voters also support the governor’s proposal to have the state fund college classes for inmates by a 53-43 percent margin. A majority oppose the New York Dream Act 56-39 percent (up from 53-44 percent in January 2013).
“This Siena College poll provides both good news and bad news for both Cuomo and Astorino. For the governor, the good news is that he maintains a strong 35-point lead over his likely challenger, he continues to have a strong favorability rating and almost two-thirds of voters think he’s been an effective governor,” said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg. “The bad news for him is that his job performance rating is the lowest it’s been since November, and for the first time, only a plurality – not a majority – of voters are prepared to re-elect him.”
Cuomo’s favorability rating is 58-34 percent (60-35 percent last month) and his job performance rating fell from 48-51 percent last month to 46-54 percent today. By a 49-41 percent margin voters say they are prepared to re-elect Cuomo compared to preferring ‘someone else’ (down from 54-37 percent last month). Astorino has a 17-19 percent favorability rating, with 65 percent having no opinion (from 11-15-73 percent last month).
“For Astorino the good news is that a plurality of voters – 47-43 percent – voters thinks a Republican can beat Cuomo in this election, and the bad news is that he remains unknown to two-thirds of voters and among those who know him slightly more view him unfavorably than favorably,” Greenberg said.
“Although by a better than two-to-one margin voters say Cuomo has been an effective governor, on only one out of eight issues are more New Yorkers prepared to say things have improved rather than have gotten worse. On six of the eight, a majority or plurality says things have remained about the same, however, on two – the quality of public education and the economic well-being of most New Yorkers – a plurality says things have gotten worse,” Greenberg said.
“To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, do New Yorkers think they’re better off economically now than they were four years ago? Only 19 percent say they are, and they support Cuomo over Astorino 82-12 percent. Among the majority, 52 percent, who say they are the same economically, they favor Cuomo 66-23 percent. And the 28 percent who say they are worse off economically today? They only side with Astorino by a narrow 41-38 percent margin,” Greenberg said.
