ALBANY — Carl Paladino is heading for a disastrous defeat at the hands of Andrew Cuomo — and might take two top Republicans with him, according to a poll released yesterday.
The Siena College survey found Buffalo builder Paladino trailing Democratic Attorney General Cuomo by a whopping 37 percentage points — far greater than the 24-point deficit of two weeks ago.
Sixty-nine percent of likely voters surveyed had an unfavorable view of Paladino, 11 points worse than for unpopular lame-duck Gov. Paterson.
DISPATCHES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
And 76 percent of Republicans predict that Cuomo will win the Nov. 2 election.
The poll showed relatively weak support for the two other statewide GOP candidates, who are backed by Mayor Bloomberg, and were expected to be strong contenders.
Experts say Paladino is to blame.
For attorney general, Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan trailed Democratic state Sen. Eric Schneiderman, 44 percent to 37 percent. And for comptroller, Manhattan investor Harry Wilson, endorsed by the three major city newspapers, trailed incumbent Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, 49 percent to 32 percent.
“There is no enthusiasm among Republicans for Carl Paladino,” said Siena pollster Steven Greenberg.
“The governor’s race is not attracting Republicans to come out and vote,” he continued.
Marist College polling director Lee Miringoff said, “Paladino doesn’t appear to be the kind of candidate to generate the enthusiasm and presence at the top of the ticket to get people starting out voting on the Republican line.
“And to the extent that people vote a straight ticket, you may have people starting out on the Democratic line — because of Paladino — who might otherwise have been on the Republican line,” he continued.
Many top state Republicans say privately that Paladino’s intemperate and bellicose outbursts, anti-gay ravings, forwarding of racist and pornographic e-mails, and wild unsubstantiated charges against Cuomo and others have damaged all GOP candidates.
In response, many Republican contenders — including Donovan and Wilson — have refused to endorse Paladino.
Meanwhile, the new poll showed incumbent Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand with massive leads over their GOP opponents, with Schumer ahead of political consultant Jay Townsend, 67 percent to 28 percent, and Gillibrand ahead of former Rep. Joseph DioGuardi, 60 percent to 31 percent.