As Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo prepares to be sworn into office in January, he will face tough challenges in reforming the New York State Legislature, however, a majority of voters are optimistic about his chances of being successful on key issues, according to a new Siena poll released today.
The poll asked a sample of New Yorkers what issues they would like to see Governor-elect Cuomo make his top priorities, and then they asked how those New Yorkers thought that Cuomo would do in addressing those issues.
“Creating jobs is the most important issue for voters, and it’s the issue on which voters are most optimistic that Cuomo will succeed,” said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg. “Three-quarters of voters, including 65 percent of Republicans, are optimistic that Cuomo will develop programs to create new jobs, while only 24 percent are not very or not at all optimistic.”
Voters were also optimistic that Cuomo would be able to solve the state budget deficit by a margin of 59-40 percent. Balancing the budget was seen as the second highest priority for Governor-elect Cuomo.
Cuomo’s favorability ratings among New Yorkers has surged in the weeks following the election, with 64 percent of voters having a favorable view as opposed to 26 percent who view him unfavorably. That is his best favorability rating since May.
Voters were also asked what they thought about the prospect of a Cuomo presidential bid -- which was not received well.
“While there’s been early speculation by some that the governorship will merely be a stepping stone for Cuomo’s bid for the White House, that kind of talk does not make voters happy,” Greenberg said. “Only 11 percent of voters like the Cuomo presidential speculation, while an overwhelming 85 percent, including 79 percent of Democrats, say they don’t like the speculation because Cuomo needs to prove he can succeed as governor first.”
