Poll: Voters Vow Vengeance on Senators Next Election Day

By Karen DeWitt

Albany, New York – A new poll finds that, unsurprisingly, New York voters are incensed over the month of chaos in the State Senate, and have vowed vengeance in next year's election.

The Siena poll finds nearly 75% of New Yorkers are "angry" about the gridlock in the state Senate following a June 8th coup attempt, and consider the month long stand off a waste of time that "accomplished nothing".

62% say they'll make the Senators pay next Election Day. But Senators aren't up for election until November 2010, nearly a year and half from now. Siena's Steve Greenberg says continued volatility in the Senate, however, may help voters hold on to their anger until then. The Democrats continue to have a razor- thin majority of just 32 out of 62 Senators.

"Any one Senator can put the Senate back into the turmoil they were in for six weeks," said Greenberg.

The poll also found that the Governor Paterson's strong stance against the Senate helped him slightly in the polls. He now has a 22% favorability rating, up from a low of 18% in the spring, but voters would still prefer Andrew Cuomo or Rudy Giuliani as governor by a more than two to one margin.

Paterson did get points for naming a new lieutenant governor, with 51% saying it was a good idea, though most voters know nothing about the governor's choice, former MTA Chair Richard Ravitch.

Siena Poll