New York State:

Tough Political Times for New York’s Governor

FOR EMBARGO:  6 P.M. Monday, April 11, 2005

 

Contact:           Dr. Lee M. Miringoff

Dr. Barbara L. Carvalho

Marist College

845.575.5050

 

This Marist College Institute for Public Opinion poll reports:

·                 Voters give thumbs down to a fourth term for Governor Pataki:  Only 34% of New York State’s registered voters want to see Governor Pataki seek a fourth term in 2006.  55% prefer that he does not run again.  In April of 1993, a comparable time in Mario Cuomo’s tenure as governor, New Yorkers were divided about whether or not he should run for re-election.  43% of registered voters wanted him to seek a fourth term and 47% did not.

 

Question Wording: Do you want George Pataki/Mario Cuomo to run for governor in 2006/1994 or not?

 

Registered Voters

Yes

No

Unsure

April 2005 (Pataki)

34%

55%

11%

April 1993 (Cuomo)

43%

47%

10%

 

·                 Many would not vote to re-elect the governor, although about one in five say it still depends:  44% of New York State’s registered voters would definitely vote against Governor Pataki should he decide to seek a fourth term next year.  Only 28% of voters would definitely support him at this time.  19% neither support nor oppose him but say it depends on who runs against him.  9% are unsure.

 

Question Wording: If George Pataki runs for re-election as governor, do you definitely plan to vote for him or do you definitely plan to vote against him?

 

 

 

Registered Voters

 

Definitely Vote For

Definitely Vote Against

 

Depends Who Runs

 

 

Unsure

April 2005

28%

44%

19%

9%

 

·                 Voters’ lowest rating of governor signals rough road:  Governor Pataki receives his lowest approval rating from voters since assuming office.  34% of New York State’s registered voters including fewer than half of Republicans rate the job Governor Pataki is doing in office as excellent or good.  64% rate the job the governor is doing as fair or poor.  Mario Cuomo’s approval rating as governor at a similar time in his administration was 40%.

 

Question Wording: Would you rate the job Governor George Pataki/Mario Cuomo is doing in office as excellent, good, fair, or poor?

 

 

Registered Voters

Excellent/

Good

 

Excellent

 

Good

 

Fair

 

Poor

Unsure/

DK

April 2005 (Pataki)

34%

  5%

29%

39%

25%

  2%

April 1993 (Cuomo)

40%

  7%

33%

33%

25%

  2%
Region

 

 

 

 

 

 
  Upstate

30%

5%

25%

43%

26%

  1%

  New York City

34%

5%

29%

38%

26%

  2%

  Suburbs

42%

8%

34%

32%

22%

  4%
Party

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Democrats

24%

2%

22%

43%

30%

  3%

  Republicans

48%

9%

39%

37%

13%

  2%

  Non-enrolled

29%

5%

24%

36%

34%

  1%
Previous Polls

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 2004

41%

  7%

34%

38%

19%

  2%

September 2004

43%

  6%

37%

38%

17%

  2%

April 2004

41%

  4%

37%

40%

18%

  1%

January 2004

46%

  7%

39%

35%

14%

  5%

September 2003

40%

  6%

34%

41%

17%

  2%

May 2003

37%

  4%

33%

34%

25%

  4%

April 2003

49%

  7%

42%

31%

18%

  2%

December 2002

57%

12%

45%

31%

10%

  2%

October 30, 2002

57%

14%

43%

33%

  9%

  1%

October 1, 2002

61%

14%

47%

30%

  8%

  1%

September 2002

60%

12%

48%

31%

  7%

  2%

May 2002

72%

14%

58%

23%

  5%

  0%

April 2002

64%

15%

49%

28%

  6%

  2%

December 2001

65%

15%

50%

27%

  4%

  4%

April 2001