As Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo approaches the midpoint of his first term, a large majority of New York voters say they are prepared to re-elect him, according to a new poll released Wednesday by Siena College.
But voters are far less enthusiastic about the idea of Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, seeking national office. Only 39 percent said they would like to see him run for president in 2016, compared with 54 percent who said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton should mount another White House bid, the poll found.
Among Democratic voters, the gap between Mr. Cuomo and Mrs. Clinton, who formerly represented New York in the United States Senate, was even wider. Sixty-nine percent said they wanted Mrs. Clinton to seek the presidency in four years, while 43 percent supported a bid by Mr. Cuomo.
“New York Democrats overwhelmingly want to see Hillary Clinton run,†said Steven A. Greenberg, a Siena pollster. “If Hi llary were to announce that she was not running for president, my guess is that would impact the answer to the question of whether Cuomo should run or not.â€
The poll, which was conducted from Nov. 26 to Nov. 29, presents good news for Mr. Cuomo as he looks toward the second half of his term. Seven of 10 voters said they had a favorable view of him, and 6 in 10 said they would vote to re-elect him. Even about half of Republican voters said they would choose to support Mr. Cuomo for a second term.
“The man started out popular as governor and has remained popular through two years,†Mr. Greenberg said. “So I'm not surprised that, at least initially, two years out, the re-elect number is as high as it is.â€
Asked about leadership of the Legislature, voters appeared to reject the argument advanced by Democrats in the State Senate that every Democrat elected to the chamber should vote for Democrats to control it. Roughly two thirds of voters said it was acceptable for senators to switch their allegiances and vote for the opposing party to control the Senate. Voters also agreed by 2 to 1 that Mr. Cuomo should not get involved in helping one party or the other win control of the Senate.
One senator elected in November has already switched sides: Simcha Felder, a Brooklyn Democrat, said shortly after the election that he would align with Republicans in the Senate. Another, Malcolm A. Smith, a Queens Democrat, said he would leave his party's caucus and join a four-member group of breakaway Democrats known as the Independent Democratic Conference. The Independent Democrats reached a deal on Tuesday to form a coalition with the Republicans to share control of the Senate when the next legislative session begins in January.
The poll, conducted by telephone of 822 registered voters, has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.
