ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York City’s ongoing transit problems may be taking a toll on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s approval ratings, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.
Forty-six percent of those surveyed say they approve of Cuomo’s performance, the lowest rating for the governor in the Connecticut college’s polls since September 2015.
Respondents gave Cuomo low grades for New York City transit, with nearly a third awarding a “D’’ or “F.” Only 4 percent gave him an “A.” The city’s subway and commuter train systems have been plagued by mounting delays and breakdowns, prompting Cuomo to warn of a “summer of hell” as emergency repairs begin.
Cuomo is a possible 2020 presidential contender but Wednesday’s poll indicates 55 percent of New Yorkers don’t want him to run.
Quinnipiac pollster Maurice Carroll called the MTA, which oversees the city’s subway system, a “ticking time bomb” for Cuomo, who has said he’s running for a third term, and not the White House.
“A couple more derailments or just overall weariness with traveling on the trains could derail his political prospects,” Carroll said.
The July 5-10 telephone survey of 1,137 registered voters has a margin of error of 3.9 percentage points.
It was conducted before the “summer of hell” began in earnest Monday, when emergency repairs threatened to cause further delays and congestion in the city’s transportation system. On Tuesday, Cuomo said that disruptions had been minimized so far by careful planning.
“So far, so good,” Cuomo said.
The governor’s office declined to comment on the poll’s findings.
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This story has been corrected to show that poll was released Wednesday, not Tuesday.
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