A supermajority of New York voters supports increasing the state”™s minimum wage, according to a new poll conducted by the Siena College Research Institute.
Of those polled, 78 percent favor raising the state’s minimum wage to $8.50 per hour from $7.25 per hour, while 17 percent oppose the increase.
“Nearly nine in ten Democrats support it, as do three-quarters of independents and 58 percent of Republicans,” said Siena pollster Steven Greenberg in a statement. “At least 70 percent of voters from every region (of the state) support the increase.”
Two-thirds of those who responded said they “have heard or read a great deal or some about the issue.”
The poll included responses from 766 New York State registered voters who were contacted between May 6 and May 10.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo also received strong support from those who responded, with 68 percent saying they approve of the job he is doing as governor.
The percentage of voters who say the state is “on the right track” was unchanged from April to May, with 55 percent falling into the latter category and 34 percent saying the state is headed in the wrong direction.
