Poll: Majority of New York Democrats Do Not Want Gov. Andrew Cuomo to Resign

A majority of New York Democrats do not want New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) to resign despite his administration’s mounting scandals, including allegations of sexual harassment and assault, a Quinnipiac University survey released on Thursday found.

The survey, taken March 16-17 among 905 registered voters in New York State, found a plurality, or 49 percent, expressing the belief that Cuomo should not resign, compared to 43 percent who believe he should.

A majority of Democrats, 67 percent, do not believe Cuomo should resign, compared to 49 percent of independents and 26 percent of Republicans who say the same. Nearly three-quarters of Republicans, 72 percent, said Cuomo should resign:

In a separate question, voters were asked about the positions elected officials have taken about whether or not Governor Cuomo should step down. Just over 1 in 5 voters (22 percent) say they agree more with elected officials calling on Governor Cuomo to resign immediately. About three-quarters of voters (74 percent) say they agree more with elected officials saying they will wait until the New York Attorney General’s independent investigation is completed before they decide whether or not to call for Governor Cuomo to resign.

“Though some of his fellow Democrats are clearly ready to usher him out the door of the Executive Mansion and point him toward the Thruway, the vast majority of the party sees a next step as necessary,” Quinnipiac Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said, noting that New Yorkers want to see the results of a “full investigation” before making their final decision — something Cuomo has requested of voters.

Notably, the survey found 50 percent of voters believing that the allegations that Cuomo “sexually harassed and made unwelcome sexual advances toward women” are “mostly true.”

Additionally, Cuomo’s job approval rating continues to take a tumble, dropping from 45-46 in early March to 39-48 percent.

The survey’s margin of error is +/-3 percent.

Lindsey Boylan, one of Cuomo’s accusers, spoke to the New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow and recalled an instance in 2018 where the governor joked about wanting to “mount” her.

This month, New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie authorized the Assembly Judiciary Committee to open an impeachment investigation into the Democrat governor.