Poll: Majority of New Yorkers want Cuomo to resign or not run again
NEW YORK - A new poll finds that a majority of New Yorkers say they would prefer to see Governor Andrew Cuomo resign or not run for a fourth term in office.
The poll, by Siena College, shows that just 33% of New Yorkers think Cuomo should run for re-election, while 39% think he should finish his term in office but shouldn't run again, and 23% think he should resign immediately.
Even among Democrats, Cuomo's luster has faded, with 53% of Democrats saying he should not run next year versus 43% who say he should.
Overall, just 35% of respondents said they were prepared to re-elect Cuomo, however, 56% said they preferred someone else.
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"There's good and bad in here for the governor, or for those who want to take on the governor from either party," said Steve Greenberg of the Siena College Research Institute.
According to the poll, a majority of voters approve of Cuomo's handling of the pandemic, with 66% of voters saying he did a good job managing vaccines, 60% giving him positive marks for keeping New Yorkers informed, and 54% giving him the thumbs-up on reopening the state.
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However, 60% of respondents say Cuomo did a poor job answering questions about his handling of the nursing home scandal, and 42% believe investigators will find evidence he sexually harassed women, while 32% do not.
"What the numbers say to me is the Governor is still popular but voters are concerned about how much they're going to have to live through these scandals and these allegations with the Governor," said Basil Smikle, a Democratic strategist. "That's going to be a crucial balancing point for the voter next year."
"Today's Siena poll is surprisingly positive because New Yorkers have only heard one side of the story and haven't yet heard the truth," said Richard Azzopardi a spokesperson for Cuomo. "When they hear the true story and the political games people are playing it will be much different. Also, it's remarkable that only 13 percent of Democrats said the Governor should resign even though virtually all Democratic politicians called for it. Clearly, Democrats believe the Governor more than the politicians."
According to the poll, 45% of voters say the State Assembly should not impeach the governor, while 35% say they should.