ALBANY, N.Y. (WKBW) — Only one in three voters in New York says Governor Andrew Cuomo should seek re-election, according to a new Siena College poll.
The poll results, released early Thursday, showed the lack of support for him seeking re-election stems largely from his handling of nursing homes throughout the pandemic.
It found 39 percent of voters feel that the governor should finish out his term and not run in 2022; 23 percent say he should resign immediately. More than half of voters said they "would prefer someone else" to be the next governor of New York, in fact, 62 percent of respondents said they do not think Cuomo should run for a fourth term in office.
The lack of support for him seeking another term in office is juxtaposed by overall support for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The poll found two-thirds of voters felt his administration did a good job managing the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, some 60 percent of people feel he did a good job on keeping the state informed with the latest updates on the progress New York is making in combating the virus.
His favorability rating remained largely unchanged from May.
"Clearly, Democrats believe the Governor more than the politicians."
The spokesman for Governor Cuomo's office, Rich Azzopardi, says the poll results bode well for the governor.
He sent a statement to 7 Eyewitness News regarding the poll results that said, quote:
"Today's Siena poll is surprisingly positive because New Yorkers have only heard one side of the story and haven't yet heard the truth. When they hear the true story and the political games people are playing it will be much different. Also, it's remarkable that only 13 percent of Democrats said the Governor should resign even though virtually all Democratic politicians called for it. Clearly, Democrats believe the Governor more than the politicians."
What do voters want from the government?
The Siena College Poll also took a close look at what New Yorkers feel are the most important issues their state leaders need to prioritize; curbing crime, it found, is most important in voters' eyes.
About one-third of voters — 32 percent — said the governor and state legislature should make fighting crime a top priority. Right now, the City of Buffalo is experiencing a violent crime surge with a homicide rate that could outpace the record 92 murders set in 1994.
Behind crime, voters felt that education, economic equity and racial justice should be prioritized at the state level. The chart below gives a full breakdown of the poll.
