1/15: Gillibrand Approval Rating Still Low

24% of registered voters in New York State think Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is doing either an excellent or good job in office.  Gillibrand’s approval rating is little changed from the last time The Marist Poll asked voters in New York State about her job performance.  Last November, 25% gave her high marks.

©istockphoto.com/imagestock

©istockphoto.com/imagestock

“Gillibrand still hasn’t gained much traction even after one year in office,” states Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion.  “At the start of an election year, that may be a tough one for incumbents, her low approval rating shows she still has a lot of convincing to do.”

More voters say Gillibrand is performing poorly in office.  18% currently report Gillibrand is doing a subpar job while 12% thought that way in Marist’s previous poll.  And, Gillibrand has also failed to sway voters who were previously unsure about how to rate her.  25% do not have an opinion about her job performance today while 24% held that view in November.

Table: Gillibrand’s Approval Rating

Click Here for Complete January 15, 2010 NYS Poll Release and Tables

Schumer Approval Rating on a Slide

Senator Chuck Schumer still has a majority of New York voters — 51% — who think he is doing either an excellent or good job in office.  When Marist last asked about Schumer’s approval rating in November, the proportion stood at 54%.  Schumer’s approval rating has been on a decline since mid-September.  In that Marist survey, 58% of voters gave the senator high marks.

Table: Schumer Approval Rating

Gillibrand and Pataki in Close Contest … Pataki Bests Ford in Senate Race

In a hypothetical race against former New York Governor George Pataki, Democratic incumbent Senator Gillibrand is in a close contest.  45% of New York State registered voters would cast their ballot for Gillibrand if the election for U.S. Senate in New York were held today while 42% would vote for Pataki.  13% are unsure.

If former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr. were to beat out Gillibrand for the Democratic nomination, Republican Pataki would be an early favorite against Ford.  42% of registered voters statewide report they would support Pataki compared with 36% who say they would back Ford.  22% are unsure.

Table: 2010 Gillibrand/Pataki Matchup
Table: 2010 Ford/Pataki Matchup

Obama Approval Rating Steady

A majority of registered voters in New York State approve of President Barack Obama’s job performance.  56% say he is doing either an excellent or good job in office while 21% say he is performing poorly.  Similar proportions shared these views when Marist last asked about the president’s job performance in late November.

Table: Obama Approval Rating

Marist Poll Methodology

Related Stories:

1/15: Dems Duke It Out for U.S. Senate Race In NY State…Gillibrand Leads Ford

The Marist Poll’s Lee Miringoff discusses how Ford and Gillibrand will try to win over New Yorkers: