Most New Yorkers Don’t Want Cuomo To Resign, Poll Finds, But Also Don’t Want Him Reelected - Forbes

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Topline

There's good news and bad news for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in a Quinnipiac poll released Thursday: Most New Yorkers don't want him to resign as governor, but 59% of respondents don't want him reelected and majorities say he's not trustworthty and has not adequately explained the sexual harassment claims made against him.

Key Facts

The poll of registered voters found 55% said Cuomo should not resign, but there's a major divide between Republicans and Democrats on the issue: 74% of Democrats said Cuomo should not step down, while 70% of Republicans said he should.

Only 36% of respondents said they'd like to see Cuomo run for reelection in 2022, but that number jumps to 50% among Democrats.

The sexual harassment claims seem to have cemented the opinion of many who believe Cuomo treats women with less respect than men, with the greatest share in every demographic group saying he doesn't treat women with the same amount of respect.

His overall approval rating is at 45%, down almost 30 percentage points from this time last year, according to Quinnipiac.

Crucial Quote

"I'm not going to resign," Cuomo said at a news conference Wednesday.

Key Background

Cuomo has been dogged by controversy for weeks, first involving revelations of underreporting of Covid nursing home deaths, followed by accusations from three women of sexual harassment. Cuomo said Wednesday his actions had been misinterpreted and that he had "never touched anyone inappropriately," imploring New Yorkers to "wait for the facts." In the meantime, the New York legislature is stripping Cuomo of Covid emergency powers and New York Attorney General Letitia James has launched an investigation into the claims.

Tangent

James has the highest approval rating of any New York elected official in the poll, coming in at 61%, with only 16% disapproving. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) has an approval rating of 52%, with prominent progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez coming in with a 44% approval rating. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) had negative approval ratings across the board, with only 22% of all respondents saying they had a favorable opinion of de Blasio.