LOUDONVILLE — Nearly 75 percent of New Yorkers either have been vaccinated or plan to once it becomes available, according to a poll by the Siena College Research Institute.
And, while just 7 percent of New Yorkers say they have been vaccination, more than half, 55 percent, say the worst of the pandemic is yet to come. About 25 percent say they will not get vaccinated.
“While 31 percent of New Yorker think the worst of the pandemic is over, 55 percent say the worst is yet to come. Unlike some issues that divide New Yorkers by partisanship, geography or race, this question doesn’t,” said Steven Greenberg, Siena College pollster. “A majority of between 50 and 61 percent of Democrats, Republicans, independents, upstaters, downstaters, Black, Latino and white voters all think the worst of the pandemic is still in front of us.”
According to the poll, 54 percent of voters say the Biden Administration will have a positive impact on New York with 23 percent saying it will have a negative impact and 16 percent who say it will not have an impact. By a 49-22 margin, voters say having Sen. Chuck Schumer as the Senate Majority Leader will have a positive impact with 18 percent saying it will not have any real impact.
“By a 54-23 percent margin, voters say the Biden Administration will have a positive impact on New York, a view shared by three-quarters of Democrats and a plurality of independents,” Greenberg said. “However, Republicans, by a two-to-one margin, say the Biden Administration will have a negative impact on the state.”
As for the outgoing President Donald Trump, whose last day in office was Jan. 20, by a nearly two-to-one margin voters think state Attorney General Leticia James should continue to investigate his business dealings.
“While James is not known by half of voters, among those who know her, she has a positive two-to-one favorability rating, largely on the strength of Democrats, Black and New York City voters,” Greenberg said.
More than half, 57 percent, are optimistic about 2021 while 37 percent are doubtful the new year will be any better than 2020.
“Despite everything that’s happened in the last year – from the pandemic to the events at the US Capitol and all the political changes – and despite that the majority think the worst of the pandemic is still to come, and despite that a majority say the country is headed in the wrong direction, 57 percent of New Yorkers are optimistic about America looking forward to 2021,” Greenberg said.
Other findings:
- Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s favorability rating, 57-39, have changed little from November, 56-39. His job performance rating, 56-42, is up a little from November, 54-45.
- By a 63-32 percent margin, voters approve of Cuomo’s handling of the pandemic.
- 48 percent of voters say they are prepared to re-elect Cuomo if he runs for re-election in 2022 and 42 percent say they would “prefer someone else.”
- By a 53-37 percent margin, voters say the Legislature should continue to allow Cuomo to manage the state with the extraordinary executive powers they gave him at the beginning of the pandemic.
- Addressing the pandemic remains the top issue New Yorkers want to see the Governor and Legislature address in 2021 with one-third making it their top choice and half making it one of their top two choices. Helping businesses succeed, creating jobs and improving health care are the next top priorities for voters. Closing the state budget deficit, adequate funding for public schools and addressing racial inequality issues rounded out the bottom three.
- By a 56-33 percent margin, New Yorkers continue to support legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. But it is down from a 60-32 spread in November.
- By a 48-35 percent margin voters support online sports betting.
- The state Senate has a 51-30 percent favorability rating, little changed from 50-31 percent in November. The Assembly has a 48-28 percent favorability rating, little changed from 47-28 percent in November.
- When it comes to the legislative leaders, they both remain largely unknown. Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins has an 18-12 percent favorability rating, with 71 percent not knowing her, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has a 13-13 percent favorability rating, with 75 percent not knowing him.
