NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The scales appear to be tipping in Gov. Andrew Cuomo's favor on the issue of whether he should resign.
A new Siena College poll released Monday found 50 percent of voters said Cuomo should not step down yet while 35% say he should resign immediately.
The numbers are nearly identical on whether Cuomo can continue to effectively do his job as he faces multiple investigations into sexual harassment and assault allegations, as well as his administration's handling of COVID-19 nursing home deaths.
“Voters say despite the ongoing investigations, Cuomo can continue to effectively do his job as governor, 48-34 percent,” said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg. “A strong majority of Democrats and a plurality of independents say he can govern effectively, while two-thirds of Republicans disagree. Voters outside of New York City are closely divided, however, a strong majority of New York City voters say he can effectively do his job.”
Lawmakers in Albany and members of New York's congressional delegation, including Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, have called on Cuomo to step down, but the governor has insisted he will not resign.
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The poll finds one-third of voters say Cuomo has committed sexual harassment while one-quarter say he has not. Meanwhile, 41 percent remain undecided on the issue.
The poll also found voters are satisfied with the way Cuomo has addressed the allegations.
“Cuomo has offered an apology and said his office will cooperate with the independent investigation. By a 57-32 percent margin, voters say they are satisfied with the way Cuomo has addressed the allegations against
him,” Greenberg said.
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The governor's favorability rating has taken a hit amid the allegations.
"His favorability rating and his re-elect number are both down net 19 points, while his job performance rating is down net 10 points,” Greenberg said.
The governor's handling of the pandemic remain largely positive, except for his handling of nursing home death data.
“Two-thirds of New Yorkers, including 56 percent of Democrats, give him a negative grade for making public all data about COVID-related deaths of nursing home patients," Greenberg said.
The poll was conducted last week.
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