Cuomo still has a big lead, but it shrinks before election day

The incumbent leader of the two-term Democratic government, Andrew Cuomo, over his Republican rival Marc Molinaro, has declined considerably, but he still has a good lead over Tuesday's election, revealed a new poll released Sunday.

The Siena College survey shows that 49% of potential voters favor Cuomo, compared with 36% for Molinaro – 13 points difference.

Last month, it was 50% of Cuomo against 28% of Molinaro – a gap of 22 points.

This means that Cuomo's advance on Molinaro has dropped nine points despite the power of the outgoing president and his excessive spending and excessive spending in the last weeks of the campaign.

Cuomo has been hot in recent weeks for only participating in a single debate with Molinaro – and has agreed to do so only after The Post has it. placed in a chicken costume for four consecutive days.

Molinaro won the support of Republicans and registered independent voters as well as white men from the suburbs and north of the state.

The poll also revealed that 3% of voters supporting Libertarian candidate Larry Sharpe and 2% each supporting Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins and Serve America Movement candidate Stephanie Miner.

7% were undecided or did not express preference.

Results in other statewide races suggest that the blue reign will continue in New York:

• Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand led Republican challenger Chele Farley between 58% and 35%.
• The incumbent Democratic controller, Tom DiNapoli, crushes his GOP rival Jonathan Trichter from 62% to 25%.
• But the race for free seats for the Attorney General is much tighter, with Democrat Leticia James ahead of Republican Keith Wofford from 49% to 37%.

The popularity of Cuomo declined during the latter part of the campaign.

For the first time in his eight year tenure, more and more voters have seen it badly [49%] that favorably [45%]. Last month, his favorability rating was slightly positive – from 50% to 46%.

Last month, the independents favored Cuomo by ten points, but now Molinaro by 7 points.

In addition, 47% of voters said New York was heading in the wrong direction, compared with 40% of respondents who said they were going in the right direction.

"A few days before voters go to the polls, Molinaro reduced Cuomo's lead. Republicans "go home" to support their candidate much stronger than last month, "said Steve Greenberg, a Siena pollster.

Cuomo's cushion comes from his big Democratic base in New York, where he is supported by 77% of the voters, against only 14% for Molinaro. He also has a 2-1 lead over women, 56% against 28.

The suburbs of the city center are divided – 44% for Cuomo and 41% for Molinaro.

Molinaro defeated Cuomo by ten points among northern state voters, 46% to 36% and among men, from 45% to 41%.

"Voters are about to give Cuomo a third term. The question seems to be what margin? ", Said the Greenberg of Siena.

"Will there be more Democrats and voters in New York City than they have recently? If this is the case, Cuomo has the chance to increase his score. If not, or if Republican enthusiasm is the result of increased Democratic enthusiasm – particularly in the north of the state and in the suburbs, where heated debate in the Senate and the House is taking place – the final results are likely to be similar to those of four years ago. "

In 2014, Cuomo defeated GOP challenger Rob Astorino by 14 points to win a second term.

The survey polled 641 likely voters and has a margin of error of 3.9 points.