ALBANY – It’s been an unlucky ’13 for Gov. Cuomo so far – relatively speaking.
His favorability rating has dropped to an all-time low since he took office Jan. 1, 2011, according to a new poll – though it’s still better than two-to-one (64-30 percent).
But the Siena College survey shows another drop in Cuomo’s favorability and job approval ratings since he rammed through the nation’s toughest gun control law in January, a month after the Newtown, Ct. elementary school massacre.
Cuomo’s favorable rating stood at 72-21 in December’s Siena poll, while the Democrat’s job approval ratings have dropped from 60-38 then and in January to 54-44 now.
And while voters said in December they’d re-elect him 62-29 over “someone else” next year, that’s now dropped to 54-37.
Voters have also soured slightly on the gun law but still favor it 61-35 (down from 65-30 last month).
The Cuomo agenda gets high marks from voters, according to Siena’s March 3-7 telephone survey of 803 registered New York voters.
Four of five (80-16) support the “reproductive health act,” which would strengthen abortion rights.
More than three quarters (77-22) support an increase in the minimum wage to $9 – actually above the $8.75 Cuomo has proposed.
Strong majorities back taxpayer campaign financing (61-33) and decriminalization of public possession of 15 grams or less of pot during stop and frisk procedures (63-34).
Support for legalizing casinos, though, was down slightly to 46-43 from 48-42 last month and 52 percent in January.
And voters now slightly oppose fracking (43-39), down from a dead head over the controversial high-volume gas drilling technique last month.
Voters were virtually split (49-47) this month on whether Cuomo, seen as a potential 2016 presidential candidate, is acting in the best interest of New York or of his own political future.
Still, he’s doing better than President Obama in New York, the poll found.
Obama’s favorability rating dropped to 56-41 from 66-32 last month, while voters by a decisive 60-32 percent said the country is moving in the wrong direction – down from 46-49 in January.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.