January 27, 2011
1/27: NY Voters Psyched About New Gov
NY1/YNN/Marist New York State Poll
One month into his tenure, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo is viewed favorably by more than seven in ten registered voters statewide, and nearly half — 48% — approve of his job performance thus far. Many voters think Mr. Cuomo may be the right prescription to treat New York’s ailing state government.
Andrew Cuomo
“Out of the starting gates, it’s so far so good for Governor Andrew Cuomo,” says Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. “His numbers surpass initial polls on the previous three governors and are comparable to his father’s.”
Click Here for Complete January 27, 2011 NYS NY1/YNN-Marist Poll Release and Tables
Key points from this NY1/YNN-Marist Poll:
- 71% of registered voters in New York State view Governor Cuomo favorably while 17% — do not. 12% have either never heard of him or are unsure how to rate him.
- Positive impressions of the governor span party lines. Not surprisingly, 79% of Democrats view him favorably, but 66% of Republicans and 67% of non-enrolled voters also share this view. Although well-liked regardless of region, Cuomo fares slightly better in New York City — 76% — than in the suburbs — 71% — and upstate — 68%.
- Governor Cuomo’s approval rating stands at 48%. Included here are 9% who report the governor is doing an excellent job and 39% who think he is doing a good one. 28% rate Cuomo as doing a fair job, and just 5% say he is performing poorly. To be expected after just one month in office, 19% have yet to form an opinion.
- Along party lines, 55% of Democrats, 43% of Republicans, and 42% of non-enrolled voters give Cuomo high marks as governor.
- Cuomo receives kudos regardless of region. In the suburbs of New York City, half of voters — 50% — approve of Cuomo’s job performance. 48% of New York City voters and 47% of those upstate do the same.
- On the specifics of Cuomo’s image:
o More than seven in ten — 72% — think Cuomo is a good leader for New York State compared with 15% who do not. 13% are unsure.
o 61% say the governor represents all regions of the state. Although he fares better in Democratic New York City, at least a majority in all areas of the state have this view. 68% in New York City compared with the suburbs — 62% — and upstate — 56% — believe Cuomo represents all regions of the state.
o 66% of the New York State electorate perceive Cuomo as a governor who cares about the people of New York. 25% disagree, and 9% are unsure.
o Cuomo is viewed by 63% as a unifier who will get the state working together. Almost one in four — 24% — disagree. 12% are unsure.
o Nearly six in ten — 58% — believe Cuomo is improving the way things work in Albany while 23% disagree. Of note are 19% who are unsure.
o A majority of voters — 54% — say the governor is fulfilling campaign promises, 20% do not think this to be the case, and a notable 26% are unsure.
o 55% of New York voters call Cuomo a political moderate. The governor is perceived by 26% as a liberal, and 12% think he is a conservative. Eight percent are unsure. Interestingly, a majority of voters, regardless of party, perceive Cuomo as a moderate.
Table: Andrew Cuomo Favorability
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo Approval Rating
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo as Leader
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo as Representing All NYS Regions
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo Caring About New Yorkers
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo as Unifier
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Impact on Albany
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo Fulfilling Campaign Promises
Table: Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Ideology
Voters More Positive About Direction of NYS
There has been a sharp decline in the proportion of registered voters who think New York State is moving in the wrong direction. Although a majority of voters — 52% — still report the state is traveling down the wrong path, 78% thought that way when Marist last posed this question at the end of October. As for those who say the state is going down the correct road, 42% have this view while just 18% shared this perception three months ago.
Table: Direction of NYS
Table: Direction of NYS Over Time
Click on the graph to enlarge the image.
Major Changes Needed in New York State
Although 42% of voters think the state is now moving in the right direction, 73% still think major changes are needed in the way things are done in state government. An additional 10% go as far to say that government is broken and beyond repair. However, 16% report minor changes are needed, and only 1% says state government does not need to be changed at all.
There has been little movement on this question since Marist last reported it in its September 24th survey.
Table: Status of State Government in Albany
Table: Status of State Government in Albany Over Time
Legislature Not Keeping Pace, Say Voters
When it comes to how the State Senate is performing, just 18% give the body high marks. Included here are 1% who says it is doing an excellent job and 17% who report it is doing a good job. 34% rate its performance as fair while 43% give it poor grades. Only 5% are unsure.
When Marist previously asked this question last spring, the New York State Senate’s approval rating stood at 14%.
There has also been little change in the approval rating of the New York State Assembly. 17% say it is doing either an excellent or good job. This includes 1% who thinks it is doing an excellent job and 16% who believe it is doing a good one. 35% give the State Assembly fair grades while 43% report it is doing a poor job. Five percent are unsure.
In Marist’s previous poll, 13% gave the Assembly above average marks.
Table: New York State Senate Job Approval Rating
Table: New York State Senate Job Approval Rating (Over Time)
Table: New York State Assembly Job Approval Rating
Table: New York State Assembly Job Approval Rating (Over Time)
Voters Wait to Weigh In on New AG
Newly-elected New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s job approval rating is 34%. This includes 4% who believe he is doing an excellent job and 30% who report he is doing a good one. However, most voters do not give Schneiderman a poor performance review. While 31% give him fair grades, only 5% say he is doing poorly. More than three in ten voters — 31% — have either never heard of him or are unsure how to rate him.
Table: Schneiderman Approval Rating
DiNapoli Approval Rating at 34%
New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli may have won re-election in November, but he continues to struggle to impress New York State voters. 34% give him high marks in office. Included here are 4% who report DiNapoli is doing an excellent job and 30% who say he is doing a good one. More than one-third — 36% — rate his performance as average while 8% think he is performing below average. 23% are still unsure how to rate him or have never heard of him.
When Marist reported this question at the end of September, 33% approved of the comptroller’s job performance. 33% gave him fair marks, and 13% thought he was performing poorly. 21%, at the time, were unsure how to rate him.
Table: DiNapoli Approval Rating
Table: DiNapoli Approval Rating Over Time
Click on the graph to enlarge the image.