November 23, 2009
11/23: Gillibrand Approval Rating Stagnates
Ten months after Kirsten Gillibrand was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Governor David Paterson, the junior senator from New York has failed to become a household name among registered voters in New York State.
Kirsten Gillibrand
Click Here for Complete November 23, 2009 NYS Poll Release and Tables
25% of the electorate thinks Gillibrand is doing either an excellent or good job in office, and 12% believes she is performing poorly. Perhaps, though, Gillibrand’s bigger concern is that 24% of the electorate is unsure how to rate her. Voters’ perceptions of Gillibrand’s job performance have changed little since Marist last asked this question in mid-September.
Table: Gillibrand Approval Rating
Rough Road to Election
There has been a great deal of talk over the last few days about whether former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will oppose Gillibrand in the 2010 race for U.S. Senate. If that’s the case, it could spell trouble for Gillibrand. In a hypothetical matchup against Gillibrand, Giuliani leads 54% to 40%. But, how would she do against another well-known name, former Governor George Pataki? Here, voters divide. Pataki receives 47% of the vote and Gillibrand garners 45%. 8% are unsure. When Marist last asked this question in late September, Pataki led Gillibrand 45% to 41%. 14% were undecided at that time.
Table: 2010 Gillibrand/Pataki Matchup
The Marist Poll’s Lee Miringoff says that Gillibrand and other Democrats could lose their offices in 2010 after this year’s strong showing from the New York GOP: