A new poll released Friday by the firm Data for Progress—polling only 484 likely voters—suggests Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) faces plummeting support among New Yorkers, with a majority saying he should resign amid twin scandals and facing increasing scrutiny.
When asked for their opinion on Cuomo’s potential resignation, 59% of all respondents (including 46% of Democrats) said the governor should resign immediately, according to the poll released Friday.
The survey, shared by New York-based news outlet City & State, also found 37% of respondents had a “very unfavorable” opinion of Cuomo, compared to 17% who hold a very favorable view.
When asked if they would re-elect Cuomo, just 18% of Democrats answered affirmatively, as 57% said it is “time for someone new.”
The Data for Progress survey was conducted from March 13 to March 16 among 484 likely New York voters.
Cuomo, 63, coasted to re-election for his third term in November of 2018, receiving 59.6% of the vote. And, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, New Yorkers lauded the governor for his handling of the crisis. In June, Cuomo registered a favorability rating of 65%. In July, an NBC/Marist poll reported that Cuomo’s job performance ratings reached all-time highs, as 60% of New Yorkers voters deemed Cuomo’s performance as excellent or good, and 86% of Democrats said they approved of the governor.However, in late January, as Covid-19 cases were spiking amid a deadly third wave, New York Attorney General Letitia James published the results of an investigation that found the state had drastically underreported nursing home deaths related to the coronavirus, and has led to a federal investigation into whether Cuomo’s office had deliberately obscured the truth. The following month, Cuomo faced allegations that he had threatened critics and was accused of inappropriate sexual conduct. By mid-March, the number of women accusing the governor of some form of sexual harassment or inappropriate touching had swelled to seven. With more than 100 state lawmakers, including nearly all top-tier New York Democrats calling for his resignation, support for Cuomo among the electorate has diminished rapidly. A Quinnipiac University poll in early March found that 40% of respondents favored Cuomo’s resignation. That number rose to 43% in a Quinnipiac survey released Thursday.
Cuomo, who faces a 2022 reelection if he remains in office, has denied touching anyone inappropriately and has repeatedly insisted he will not resign. New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced last week that an investigation into Cuomo’s actions would be conducted by the Assembly Judiciary Committee and law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.
“The Governor needs to put the people of New York first,” read a joint letter signed by 59 Democratic state lawmakers calling for Cuomo to step down. “We have a Lieutenant Governor who can step in and lead for the remainder of the term, and this is what is best for New Yorkers in this critical time.”
‘It’s Like Gangster Stuff’: More New York Politicians Accuse Cuomo Of Threatening Behavior (Forbes)
AOC, Schumer, Gillibrand And Nearly All N.Y. House Democrats Call For Cuomo To Resign (Forbes)
Andrew Cuomo Faces Another Misconduct Allegation As Office Begins Its Own Investigation (Forbes)
