In office for less than a month, most New Yorkers give Gov. Cuomo high marks for the job he is doing in Albany — a stark contrast to the way they see the state legislature, according to a poll released today.
While Cuomo is viewed favorably by a whopping 71 percent of registered voters across the state, according to a NY1/YNN-Marist Poll, the State Senate and Assembly could only score favorable marks in the teens.
“Out of the starting gates, it’s so far so good for Governor Andrew Cuomo,” said Lee 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.”
Democrats, Republicans and independents all like Cuomo. Not surprisingly, 79 percent of Democrats view him favorably, but 66 percent of Republicans and 67 percent of non-enrolled voters share the same opinion.
The survey also found:
— Although he is liked regardless of region, Cuomo fares slightly better in New York City (76 percent), compared to the city’s suburbs (71 percent) and upstate (68 percent).
— Cuomo’s approval rating stands at percent. Included are nine percent who said the governor is doing an excellent job and 39 percent who think he is doing a good one.
— Most voters (55 percent) consider Cuomo a moderate. The governor is perceived by 26 percent as a liberal and 12 percent think he is a conservative.
While the wildly popular Cuomo does well in the poll, state lawmakers as a whole do not. When it comes to how the State Senate is performing, just 18 percent give the body high marks. Only one percent of those polled said it was doing an excellent job, the poll found.
When Marist asked the same question last spring, the State Senate’s approval rating stood at 14 percent.
There has also been little change in the approval rating of the State Assembly. Just 17 percent said it is doing either an excellent or good job. This includes just 1 percent who thinks it is doing an excellent job.
In Marist’s previous poll, 13 percent had given the Assembly above average marks.
The survey comes as Cuomo plans to embark on a series of budget cuts aimed at reducing a $10 billion state deficit. Cuomo has called for a series of dramatic measures, including a one-year wage freeze for state workers.
The poll of 751 registered state voters was conducted earlier this week by telephone.