Cuomo rating at low point
LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. >> New Yorkers believe Gov. Andrew Cuomo has made the state a better place to live in his nine years as governor, according to a recent Siena College Poll of registered New York voters.
According to the poll, a 51-39 percent margin shows that New Yorkers believe Cuomo has been the state a better place to live.
However, Cuomo’s favorability rating, negative 43-50 percent (down from 52-42 percent in June), matches his lowest-ever favorability rating, and his job performance rating 34-64 percent, hit its lowest level ever, according to the poll released Tuesday.
Voters overwhelmingly support new laws to
require vaccinations of children regardless of the parents’ religious beliefs, institute a farmworkers’ bill of rights, mandate zero carbon emissions in electricity by 2040, ban single-use plastic bags and prohibit the use of the gay and trans panic defense.
A majority opposes the law allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain a New York driver’s license. By a 52-33 percent margin, voters say the recently concluded legislative session will move the state on the right track, not in the wrong direction.
“For the dog days of August, voters give Cuomo good news and some bad news. The good news: by a margin of 51-39 percent, they say he has made New York a better place to live in nine years as governor. Democrats, black, Latino and Jewish voters, and voters from New York City strongly agree he’s made the state better. However, Republicans overwhelmingly say he’s made the state worse, as do a plurality of independents and upstaters. Men, downstate suburbanites, and white voters are closely divided,” Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said.
“Voters say Cuomo has put New York on the right track on protecting the rights of all New Yorkers, providing children with a quality public education and ensuring accessibility to affordable quality health care. They give him mixed grades on infrastructure and helping businesses succeed. A plurality say he’s moved the state in the wrong direction on creating a fair tax structure and managing state government effectively,” Greenberg added.
“The bad news for Cuomo is that for only the second time, half of [the] voters view him unfavorably. Nearly two-thirds also give him a negative job performance rating,” Greenberg continued. “Since June, his favorability rating has fallen double digits with Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and voters from every region of the state.”
“Democrats, Republicans, and independents all overwhelmingly support requiring children to be vaccinated regardless of their parents’ religious beliefs. There is also strong support for the new farmworkers’ bill of rights and mandating significant reductions in carbon emissions and greenhouse gases, although Republicans are not as strongly supportive as Democrats and independents,” Greenberg noted.
Greenberg went on to mention how voters view banning single-use plastic bags in the state.
“Banning single-use plastic bags is strongly supported by Democrats and Independents, with Republicans evenly divided. Democrats and Independents strongly support banning the gay and trans panic defense, while Republicans are opposed. Only Democrats support allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain a New York driver’s license; it is opposed by independents and overwhelmingly opposed by Republicans,” Greenberg added.
“Two-thirds of Democrats and a plurality of independents say the recentlyconcluded legislative session will move New York on the right track; nearly twothirds of Republicans say it will move the state in the wrong direction,” Greenberg said. “A strong majority of New York City voters and a plurality of non-New York City voters say the session moves the state on the right track.
“Voters support many actions from the recent legislative session, continue to view both houses of the Legislature favorably, and a plurality are prepared to re-elect their legislators. Despite that, voters overwhelmingly say, 68-22 percent, it’s better if both parties controlled at least one branch of state government to provide checks and balances,” Greenberg continued. “Even a strong majority of Democrats favor two-party control of state government.”
According to the poll, President Donald Trump has a negative 35-62 percent favorability rating, up a tick from 34-63 percent in June. His job performance rating is 34-66 percent, up from 29-70 percent in June.
“Trump continues to be viewed overwhelmingly negatively by his fellow New Yorkers – with the exception of Republicans, nearly three-quarters of whom continue to view him favorably and give him a positive job performance rating,” Greenberg stated. “Perhaps Trump can take some solace in the fact that as unpopular as he is in his home state, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is even more unpopular.
“By a 53-41 percent margin, voters support the new law allowing certain congressional leaders to have access to state tax returns of any New Yorker, including the president. The law is supported by nearly threequarters of Democrats, and is opposed by two-thirds of Republicans and a majority of Independents,” Greenberg said.