Cuomo's favorability rating highest since 2014

PHOTOGRAPHER: The New York Times

Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York on May 23, 2017.

LOUDONVILLE — If New York’s gubernatorial election was held this week, Andrew Cuomo would be on his way to a third term as the state’s governor, according to the Siena College Research Institute poll released early Tuesday.

Cuomo begins his eighth year as governor with his best favorability rating — 62 percent positive to 30 percent negative — since June 2014. That’s also a significant boost from the 52-43 percent rating he enjoyed from likely New York voters in November.

“Election Day is 42 weeks away,” Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said. “Many political lifetimes. Budgets, trials, legislation, ribbon-cuttings, natural or other disasters (hopefully not), federal issues and unforeseen events are likely to impact the political landscape. That being said, Andrew Cuomo enters a re-election year with his best favorability rating since the last re-election campaign, his best job performance rating in eight months and a potpourri of State of the State proposals that are popular with New York voters.”

New York’s two U.S. senators both have favorable ratings — Chuck Schumer at 59 percent and Kirsten Gillibrand at 51 percent, while U.S. President Donald Trump has a favorability rating of 32 percent.

“As we start an election year for every statewide office, a U.S. Senate seat, every member of the House and state Legislature, Cuomo sits atop the lineup of New York pols in terms of favorability,” Greenberg said.

The Siena poll, conducted Jan. 7-11 by telephone in English to 824 registered voters in New York, showed that those polled thought Cuomo’s top two priorities in 2018 should be taxes and health care.