Spitzer slumps further with NY voters

Gov. Eliot Spitzer's popularity across New York state continues to wane after just 14 months on the job.

The Siena New York poll released Wednesday shows that voters continue to give the governor a two-to-one negative job performance and twice as many voters say they would "prefer someone else" rather than re-elect Spitzer.

Spitzer's rating is 41 percent favorable, 46 percent unfavorable, down from 44 percent favorable/41 percent unfavorable in January.

Content Continues Below

Nearly two-thirds of voters -- 65 percent -- rate his performance as negative compared to 33 percent who say the Democrat is doing an excellent or good job as governor.

"The way voters view Governor Spitzer is the same in February as it was last November. After a modest improvement last month, when more voters had a favorable view of the governor, this month more voters view him unfavorably," said Steven Greenberg, spokesman for the Siena New York Poll. "The falloff in his favorability rating was largely among Democrats, African American and Latino voters. The only demographic group with a majority having a favorable view of Spitzer is Jewish voters, at 53 percent."

One year ago, 74 percent of those polled by SRI said they had a favorable opinion of the job Spitzer was doing while just 12 percent said they had an unfavorable opinion. Also, 58 percent said he was doing an excellent or a good job and 23 percent said he was doing a fair or poor job.

The poll from Albany-based Siena (College) Research Institute reveals fewer voters would grant Spitzer a second term. Currently, just 25 percent of voters are prepared to re-elect Spitzer -- down from 27 percent in January, while 50 percent -- up from 46 percent -- would prefer "someone else."

Greenberg said voters do not think that conditions in New York state have improved since Spitzer became governor.

"More than one in five voters - 22 percent - say things have gotten worse, while only 15 percent say things have gotten better. The majority, 58 percent, say things have stayed pretty much the same," he said. "For New Yorkers, the slogan 'everything changes on Day 1' is a long forgotten memory."

Also, the poll said when given only three options to close a potential state budget gap - reduce the proposed increase in education spending, make further reductions in health care spending, or increase taxes - voters were divided. Thirty-two percent said to increase taxes, 20 percent said reduce education spending increases, 18 percent said make further cuts in health care spending, and 29 percent were undecided.

The telephone poll of 633 registered New York voters was taken Feb. 11 - 14.