Cuomo popularity highest in 7 years: poll

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) favorability rating is at its highest point in more than seven years, according to a new poll, driven by overwhelming support for his response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Seventy-one percent of respondents said they had a favorable view of Cuomo, up from 44 percent in February, the Siena College poll released Monday shows.

It is the three-term governor’s best rating since January 2013, just before the passage of the SAFE Act, New York’s sweeping gun reform legislation passed in wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut, pollsters noted. 

Moreover, the new survey found that an overwhelming 87 percent of New Yorkers said they support the job Cuomo is doing to address the pandemic, and just 11 percent said they disapprove. 

Cuomo’s response to the coronavirus pandemic received bipartisan support from New Yorkers, with 95 percent support from Democrats, 70 percent support from Republicans and 87 percent support from independents. 

The poll found less support for President Trump’s response among New Yorkers, with 41 percent approving his efforts and 56 percent disapproving. Trump’s approval was driven mainly by the 82 percent of Republicans who approved his handling of the pandemic. Just 20 percent of Democrats polled approved of his performance. 

New York has become a hotspot for the coronavirus pandemic, with 59,513 cases across the state as of Sunday afternoon, according to the state’s department of health data. 

Cuomo has held daily press briefings updating the public on the state of the crisis and New York’s response. 

The Siena College Poll was conducted March 22-26 and surveyed 566 New York state registered voters. It has a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.