Gov. Cuomo gets top marks for handling of coronavirus, Siena poll finds
Andrew Cuomo, the blunt speaking and yet empathetic governor of New York who appears on your TV every day giving the latest update on the coronavirus, received a job approval rating of 87% from New Yorkers, according to a Siena College poll released this morning. Just 11% disapproved of his performance.
Cuomo”™s favorability rating jumped to 71 percent this month, a major increase from 44 percent in February. According to the poll, it was his best showing since January 2013, just before passage of the Safe Act, which requires universal background checks for those wishing to buy a firearm.
“In the midst of this global pandemic, New Yorkers approve of Governor Cuomo”™s handling of the coronavirus pandemic with near universal support. At least 85 percent of voters from every region approve of his handling of the crisis, as do 95 percent of Democrats, 87 percent of independents and even 70 percent of Republicans,” Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said.
“President Trump, on the other hand, gets praise from 82 percent of Republicans, but 52 percent of independents and 79 percent of Democrats disapprove of the job he”™s doing.”
Vice President Mike Pence also polled poorly among New Yorkers, with 47% disapproving of his job performance. Among Democratic voters in the state, 66% disapprove of his work during the pandemic, while only 12% of Republican voters disapproved.
The poll was conducted March 22-26 via telephone calls to 566 New York state registered voters. It has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
In addition, the poll found 92% percent of New Yorkers said they”™re very (73%) or somewhat (19%) concerned about the pandemic. Also, 79% said they are very (42%) or somewhat (37%) concerned about getting the coronavirus themselves. Nearly one-third of voters said they know someone who tested positive.
The poll found 53% percent said the federal government is not doing all it can to protect their health.
“Although 82 percent of Republicans say the feds are doing all they can, 52 percent of independents and 71 percent of Democrats say they”™re not,” Greenberg said.
When asked how they would spend money received from the federal government, 53 percent said they would use it for immediate needs, 24 percent said they would save it for future needs and 14 percent said they would donate it.
As to the question of how quick normalcy will return to their lives, “Seventy percent of Republicans and 57 percent of independents think ”˜Things will be back to normal sometime soon,”™ while 54 percent of Democrats say they are not confident we ”˜will be back to normal anytime soon,”™” Greenberg said.
“Although a small majority of New York City voters are pessimistic, upstaters and downstate suburbanites are optimistic that a return to normalcy will happen sometime soon,” he said. “Voters 55 and older are the optimists, while those under 55 are virtually evenly divided.”