Ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s popularity has started to recover in the Empire State, but his potential revival isn’t coming from Democrats, a newly released statewide Siena College poll suggests.
Cuomo, who is running for New York City mayor, remains unpopular with New Yorkers overall, with 37% rating him favorable and 51% unfavorable, in the first statewide numbers on the former governor from the polling institute since March 2022. The poll was conducted last week, days after he formally entered the mayoral race.
In that 2022 poll, which came less than a year after he’d resigned amid a cascade of scandals, Cuomo had been 32% favorable and 60% unfavorable.
But in that time Cuo’s held almost the same amount of support from Democrats – 50% in 2022 and 51% now.
His rising favorability in the poll appears driven by a surge of support – and falling animosity – from Republicans. Just 12% of GOPers thought of the disgraced gov favorably in 2022 compared with 25% in the survey conducted last week.
The new poll also presents the first side-by-side comparison of Cuomo with Gov. Kathy Hochul since the March 2022 survey, which was conducted as she was running in the primary for her first full term. At the time, Hochul had a positive net favorability of 10% with 45% rating her favorable.
Her numbers have been dragging underwater for months now with a negative 10% net favorability – 40% favorable, 50% unfavorable.
Given the poll’s 4% margin of error, Hochul’s topline numbers are strikingly similar to Cuomo’s.
Hochul carries more support from Democrats – 57% support her – and women favor her 6% more than Cuomo.
But overall, Democrats appear pessimistic about their leadership in New York.
Only 47% of Democrats said New York is on the right track versus heading in the wrong direction. Asked the same question on Siena’s March 2022 survey, 64% of Democrats said it was on the right track.
Mayor Eric Adams’ popularity remains on life support, with only 30% of NYC voters in the poll viewing him favorably as compared with 62% unfavorable – a negative 32% net favorability.
Only 34% said they’d re-elect Hochul, while a majority – 56% – said they prefer someone else — just not her current likely challengers.
The governor would easily trounce her estranged Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado and repeat critic Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) in a primary, per the poll.
The poll had some glimmers of hope for Hochul. Asked separately to rank how they approve of the job she is doing as governor, 46% said they either strongly or somewhat approve compared to 48% who either somewhat or strongly disapprove.
“Although Hochul’s favorability rating continues to remain in stubbornly negative territory, where it has been since February last year, her overall job approval rating is close to the breakeven mark,” Siena College poll spokesperson Steven Greenberg said.
More New Yorkers approve than disapprove of Hochul’s work “making New York a safer place to live and work” as well as her efforts ensuring that they “have access to quality affordable healthcare” and “protecting the constitutional rights of all New Yorkers,” according to the poll.
The poll’s respondents however disapproved of her progress on making “New York a more affordable place to live and work” and “working with the Trump administration to benefit New York.”
The survey also asked New Yorkers for their opinions on the controversial congestion pricing.
The phased-in $15 congestion toll saw slightly more support than opposition from New York City residents polled by Siena, but it’s still unpopular statewide.
Asked how they feel about the toll being eliminated, 33% of statewide respondents said it should stay and 40% say it should go. Another 16% said they were in the middle and 11% said they don’t know.
“A plurality of voters wants to see congestion pricing eliminated, as Trump has called for. Pluralities of New York City voters and Democrats want congestion pricing to remain — Hochul’s position,” Greenberg noted.
“In June 2024, voters approved of Hochul’s temporary halt of congestion pricing 45-23%. In December, voters opposed Hochul’s announced reimposition of the congestion pricing tolls, 51-29%,” Greenberg added.
Read the full article here