ALBANY – Support for Gov. Cuomo and his plan to legalize casinos slipped over the past month, according to a new poll.
But the Siena College survey released today found far less damage to Cuomo’s popularity after he signed a sweeping gun control bill than a Quinnipiac University poll last week – which showed a 30-point unfavorable swing in Cuomo’s job approval rating over the past month.
The Siena poll found state voters strongly support the new gun law by 65-30 percent.
But it also showed voters remain split down the middle on the controversial practice of fracking for natural gas in upstate’s Marcellus Shale.
Cuomo’s favorablity rating of 67-29 and his job approval mark of 58-41 slid from 71-24 and 60-38, respectively, in Siena’s January survey.
But the new poll, which also showed 56 percent of voters would re-elect Cuomo next year vs. 36 percent for someone else, found most Republicans (54-42) now view Cuomo unfavorably for the first time since he took office Jan. 1, 2011. He also lost support among upstaters, whose backing of the gun law was far weaker than that of suburbanites and city dwellers.
Support for amending the constitution to allow seven casinos dipped to 48-42 from 52-43 last month, with small majorities of Republicans, independents and suburbanites providing the edge.
“Passage of the amendment by voters is still an iffy proposition and far from a sure bet,” Siena poll spokesman Steven Greenberg said.
The gun law – first in the nation since last December’s shooting massacre left 20 first-graders and six adults dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Ct. – was needed and the right thing to do, 56 percent of voters said. But 42 percent, including nearly three quarters of Republicans and most upstaters, said the measure – which broadens New York’s ban on assault weapons, reduces the limit on bullets in magazines to seven from 10, subjects more guns to registration and toughens penalties for illegal gun use – was rushed through without adequate consideration.
Most Republicans and conservatives oppose the gun law, Siena’s Jan. 27-31 telephone survey of 1,154 registered voters found.
Though voters were divided on fracking – even in upstate’s gas-rich Southern Tier – Siena found the Democratic-dominated opposition would be more upset if Cuomo allows high-volume drilling (88 percent, including 54 percent who’d be very upset) than Republican-dominated supporters would be if he doesn’t (59, 20).
“The Governor is in a position that chief executives hate: making a decision on a controversial issue where voters
are split down the middle,” Greenberg said of fracking, which opponents fear will harm the environment but supporters say will create badly needed jobs. “Unlike his position on guns, which angered a vocal minority, Cuomo’s decision on fracking is likely to anger far more voters – no matter what he decides.”
Siena also found 56 percent of voters like the unprecedented power-sharing coalition the 30 GOP and six Democratic state senators formed this year.
While Republicans, independents, suburbanites and upstaters all favor the coalition, 60 percent of Democrats think the breakaway Democratic senators should have stuck with their 27 fellow party members to take a 33-30 majority.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.