Part two of a new Siena Research Institute poll released this week finds Governor Andrew Cuomo enjoying his best favorability rating in years. The poll also measured New Yorkers' feelings about the new tax law.
Siena poll spokesman Steve Greenberg says as the Democrat gears up for a run for third term, voters are more approving of Governor Andrew Cuomo. "Right now, 62 percent of New Yorkers say they have a favorable view of Andrew Cuomo, compared to 30 percent who have an unfavorable view. That's up from 52-43, last, I should say back in November, right before the 2017 election. His job performance is now on the positive side. 50 percent say he's doing an excellent or good job as governor, compared to 48 percent who say he's doing only a fair or poor job. And right now, 55 percent of New Yorkers say they are prepared to reelect Andrew Cuomo as governor, compared to 36 percent who say they would prefer, quote, someone else, unquote. And that's the best reelect number the governor's had since the beginning of second term."
Greenberg adds that Cuomo has the best favorability rating among all state officials. "A lot of New York pols are doing good with the public, including both of our United States Senators. Schumer has a 59-32 percent favorability rating, Senator Gillibrand 51-23 percent favorable, and even Mayor de Blasio, just starting his second term, fresh off his reelection victory, has the best favorability rating he's ever had in a Siena poll statewide. 44 percent of New York state voters have a favorable view of the city mayor, 37 percent have an unfavorable view. Also as we kick off 2018, the legislature is above water with voters: right now 44 percent view the state Senate favorably, 39 percent unfavorably, and a comparable 42 percent view the state Assembly favorably, with 36 percent viewing the assembly unfavorably."
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli have lower favorability ratings of 12 and 27 percent, respectively. "Tom DiNapoli has been the state comptroller for a decade, yet 62 percent of voters don't know enough about Tom DiNapoli to have an opinion about him."
The survey shows President Trump up a few points from November. 32 percent view him favorably, 63 percent view him unfavorably. When it comes to the new federal tax bill: "A plurality of voters, 43 percent, say that the new federal tax law will worsen the economy. Only 24 percent of New Yorkers think it improve the economy. 21 percent said it will essentially have no impact. And what we see is a bit of a partisan split. A majority of Democrats, 56 percent, think it will worsen the economy, a plurality, 43 percent, of Republicans think it will help the economy, and a plurality of independent voters, 38 percent, think it wil worsen the economy. We also asked voters 'how about you personally, how will this new federal tax law impact you. Will it better your financial situation, worsen it or keep it about the same?' And there, a plurality, 45 percent, say 'it'll be about the same.' Only 15 percent of New Yorkers think the new federal tax law will help them. 33 percent say it will not, it will make their personal financial situation worse."
Other takeaways: taxes and health Care replaced jobs and education as top priorities for New Yorkers, and Governor Cuomo's State of the State included many proposals with strong voter support. "The Child Victims Act has the support of more than three-quarters of New Yorkers; 76 percent support it to 17 percent who oppose it. The governor's proposal to prohibit public money to settle sexual harassment claims against individuals who work for government agencies, two-thirds of New Yorkers support that. Two-thirds also support instituting early voting in New York like other states have. And 60 percent, highest we've ever seen in a Siena Poll, now support passing the New York Dream Act, to allow the children of undocumented immigrants to receive financial aid for higher education."
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This Siena College Poll was conducted January 7-11, 2018 by telephone calls conducted in English to 824 New York State registered voters. Respondent sampling was initiated by asking for the youngest male in the household. It has an overall margin of error of + 4.0 percentage points including the design effects resulting from weighting. Sampling was conducted via a stratified dual frame probability sample of landline and cell phone telephone numbers (both from Survey Sampling International) from within New York State weighted to reflect known population patterns. Data was statistically adjusted by age, party, region and gender to ensure representativeness. The Siena College Research Institute, directed by Donald Levy, Ph.D., conducts political, economic, social and cultural research primarily in NYS. SCRI, an independent, non-partisan research institute, subscribes to the American Association of Public Opinion Research Code of Professional Ethics and Practices.
