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Support Dips For Cuomo Staying In Office, Quinnipiac University New York State Poll Finds; Gov Job Approval, Favorability, Honesty Ratings Hit Record Lows

As elected officials turn up the pressure on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign over multiple allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriately touching women, nearly half of voters (49 percent) in New York say that he should not resign while 43 percent say he should resign, according to a Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh- pea-ack) University poll of registered voters in New York State. The poll was conducted from March 16th - 17th. In a March 4th survey, voters said 55 - 40 percent he should not resign.

Today, Democrats say 67 - 23 percent he should not resign, 49 percent of independents say Cuomo should not resign with 42 percent saying he should resign, and Republicans say 72 - 26 percent he should resign.

In a separate question, voters were asked about the positions elected officials have taken about whether or not Governor Cuomo should step down. Just over 1 in 5 voters (22 percent) say they agree more with elected officials calling on Governor Cuomo to resign immediately. About three-quarters of voters (74 percent) say they agree more with elected officials saying they will wait until the New York Attorney General's independent investigation is completed before they decide whether or not to call for Governor Cuomo to resign.

"Though some of his fellow Democrats are clearly ready to usher him out the door of the Executive Mansion and point him toward the Thruway, the vast majority of the party sees a next step as necessary. They want a full investigation before deciding whether Cuomo should resign," said Quinnipiac Polling Analyst Tim Malloy.

A majority of voters (54 - 36 percent) say that Cuomo should not be impeached and removed from office. Ten percent did not offer an opinion.

Voters are split 47 - 46 percent on whether Cuomo has lost his ability to be an effective leader, compared to March 4th when 43 percent said he had lost his ability to be an effective leader and 53 percent said he had not.

Two-thirds of voters (66 - 25 percent) say they would not like to see Andrew Cuomo run for reelection as Governor in 2022. On March 4th, that number was 59 - 36 percent that voters would not like to see him run for reelection.

JOB APPROVAL & TRAITS

Voters give Governor Cuomo a negative 39 - 48 percent job approval rating, down from a split 45 - 46 percent approval rating on March 4th. Today's numbers mark the lowest job approval for Cuomo since he took office in 2011.

Voters give Governor Cuomo a negative 33 - 51 percent favorability rating, his lowest favorability number since Quinnipiac University began tracking his favorability in 2008 while Cuomo served as New York Attorney General.

Nearly 6 in 10 voters (58 percent) say that Andrew Cuomo is not honest and trustworthy, 28 percent say he is honest and trustworthy, and 13 percent did not offer an opinion. That is his worst score since Quinnipiac University began tracking voters' views on his honesty and trustworthiness in 2007.

Voters are split (49 - 47 percent) on whether they think Cuomo cares about the needs and problems of people like them.

Voters say 61 - 34 percent that Cuomo has strong leadership qualities, his lowest number on this question since becoming governor.

"With so-so numbers on empathy and plummeting numbers on honesty and trustworthiness, it's too early to suggest Cuomo has gone from hero to zero, but his anti-COVID crusader standing has taken a brutal broadside," added Malloy.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT ALLEGATIONS

On the allegations that Governor Cuomo sexually harassed and made unwelcome sexual advances toward women, half of voters (50 percent) say they think those allegations are mostly true, 26 percent say they think the allegations are mostly not true, and 24 percent say they either don't know or didn't offer an opinion.

Half of voters (50 percent) say they are not satisfied with the way Governor Cuomo has responded to those allegations, 39 percent say they are satisfied, and 11 percent don't know or didn't offer an opinion.

NURSING HOMES

Nearly 6 in 10 voters (58 percent) say they think Governor Cuomo deliberately tried to conceal the number of nursing home deaths during the coronavirus pandemic last spring, 30 percent say he did not, and 12 percent did not offer an opinion.

"Was there an act of deception concocted in Albany over the loss of the most vulnerable? History tells us cover-ups kill political careers... and for the moment, the voters have their concerns," added Malloy.

COVID-19

Voters approve 54 - 41 percent of the way Andrew Cuomo is handling the response to the coronavirus.

Almost three-quarters of adults in New York say they have either been vaccinated (38 percent) or are willing to be vaccinated (36 percent), while 20 percent say they are not willing to be vaccinated and 6 percent say they are unsure or didn't offer an opinion.

Roughly 4 in 10 New Yorkers (44 percent) say they think the pace of reopening of the schools in their community is about right, 33 percent say it's not happening quickly enough, and 16 percent say it's happening too quickly.

MARIJUANA & TAXES

Voters say by a more than 2 to 1 margin (64 - 29 percent) that they support allowing adults in New York State to legally possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use.

Voters also support (59 - 35 percent) raising taxes on the state's highest income earners.

OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS

Voters in New York approve of the way President Joe Biden is handling his job 59 - 35 percent. They also approve of the way he's handling the response to the coronavirus 69 - 26 percent.

Voters give U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer a positive 50 - 40 percent job approval rating, and give U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand a positive 44 - 33 percent job approval rating.

905 self-identified registered voters in New York were surveyed from March 16th - 17th with a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Doug Schwartz, Ph.D. since 1994, conducts independent, non-partisan national and state polls on politics and issues. Surveys adhere to industry best practices and are based on random samples of adults using random digit dialing with live interviewers calling landlines and cell phones.

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