Metro

Cuomo at all-time high in latest poll; Bam and Gillibrand strong

ALBANY – Gov. Cuomo’s job approval has hit an all-time high while President Obama and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand are cruising toward re-election in deep blue New York this year, according to a new poll out today.

The Siena College survey found New York voters divided over Obamacare and the potential legalization of casino gambling but strongly supportive of expanding the state’s DNA databank and rolling back pension benefits for new public employees.

About a quarter of respondents hope the U.S. Supreme Court throws out Obama’s health care law, about a quarter hope the high court finds the law constitutional, and 41 percent are hoping for a mixed ruling – with Democrats tending to favor the plan and Republicans far less supportive.

New York Republicans strongly favor former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney over his rivals for the GOP presidential nomination – including by 51-18 over his nearest competitor, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania.

Still, Obama would beat Romney by 25 points in New York – though the president’s standing among New Yorkers slipped a bit since last month’s Siena poll.

Meantime Cuomo improved to 73-22 percent favorable in the April 1-4 telephone survey of 808 registered voters – up from last month’s 69-25. His 63 percent job approval rating is at an all-time high.

As Cuomo’s stock rises, so does the state’s, with voters by 55-34 saying New York is on the right track – up from 50-40 last month and the highest ever in a Siena poll.

But by 54-38 percent, voters think the country is headed in the wrong direction.

More than nine of 10 voters call an on-time state budget important. The $132.6 billion spending plan – adopted on time last month – won the support of 41 percent, while 26 percent gave it a thumbs down.

Key components fared better, including the pension overhaul (70-26 percent) and expansion of the DNA databank to include all crimes (71-26).

By 59-35 percent, voters support withholding school aid increases to districts that fail to institute a new teacher evaluation system by January. Three-quarters are happy the new budget keeps state-funded spending below 2 percent.

Four in ten voters said Cuomo has made state government more open and transparent, while five percent say

it’s less so – with 46 percent saying there’s been no change during Cuomo’s tenure.

Gillibrand (D-NY) has a two-to-one favorability rating, with most voters prepared to re-elect her. She leads each of her three potential Republican challengers by at least 40 points.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points – 6.6 percentage points in the sample of 218 Republicans.