Although he hasn't officially announced his candidacy for governor, most voters view Attorney General Andrew Cuomo as part of a "solution" to fixing the government, according to a Marist poll released today.
Sixty-six percent of registered voters feel Cuomo "would more likely be part of the solution to turning state government around than part of the problem," the poll found. This perception is largely bipartisan -- 74 percent of Democrats see Cuomo as a saviour for the state and nearly half of Republican voters agree.
Attorneys General tend to poll well overall, since they don't make tough decisions on spending and taxes in government. However, Cuomo's spike in numbers comes after a drop earlier this month, seemingly as a byproduct of his involvement in the investigation into a series of scandals surrounding Gov. David Paterson.
The poll earlier this month found 54 percent of voters approved of the job the AG was doing -- a 13 point fall compared with a similar one conducted just a week before. After Cuomo recused himself from the probe, his numbers jumped. Now 61 percent of voters say he's doing either an excellent or good job in office.
“Attorney General Cuomo may have stubbed his toe briefly during the investigation of Governor Paterson," says Dr. Lee Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. "But he is back on his feet again and poised to start running for governor."
