LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) - A new poll shows New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo still leads his Republican challenger Rob Astorino by a margin of 35 percent.
However, the poll also shows that Cuomo's constituents aren't exactly thrilled with his job performance either.
Siena College on Monday released the poll, which states voters say Cuomo has been an effective governor by a 64 to 28 percent margin.
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.
The poll shows that a year after its enactment, New Yorkers support the SAFE Act, which stops criminals and the dangerously mentally ill from buying a gun, 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.
However, a majority of voters, 56-39 percent, oppose the New York Dream Act, which is up from 53-44 percent in January 2013. The Dream Act offers financial support for the eduation of immigrant youth.
"This Siena College poll provides both good news and bad news for both Cuomo and Astorino," Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said.
"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. 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."
The poll shows Cuomo's favorability rating is 58-34 percent, with his job performance rating falling to 46-54 percent. By a 49-41 percent margin, voters say they are prepared to re-elect Cuomo compared to a competing candidate.
Conversely, Astorino, a Westchester County executive, has a 17-19 percent favorability rating, with 65 percent having no opinion.
"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.
From Legal Newsline: Reach David Yates at elections@legalnewsline.com.
Poll shows Cuomo still leading Republican challenger by 35 percent
