Cuomo Challenge to Paterson Wouldn't Be Racially Divisive

Back in 2002, Andrew Cuomo, now New York's attorney general, provoked anger among black leaders when he challenged former Comptroller Carl McCall, the first African-American to win a statewide job, for the Democratic nomination for governor.

But if Gov. David Paterson, also an African-American, goes through with his vow to seek re-election, the expected challenge from Cuomo would not be seen as racially divisive, according to a Quinnipiac University poll conducted Jan. 27-Feb. 1.

As with other polls, the Quinnipiac survey shows Cuomo easily beating Paterson with a lead that now stands at 55 percent to 23 percent with 20 percent undecided, although that is somewhat lower than the 60-percent-or-better levels of support Cuomo had in previous Quinnipiac polls. Sixty-one percent say Paterson does not deserve to be elected to a full four-year term.

Asked whether voters thought a Cuomo race against Paterson would be racially divisive, blacks said no by a 73 percent to 22 percent margin, not far from the 80-14 percent margin among whites.

In a general election race, Cuomo leads former Republican Rep. Rick Lazio by 57 percent to 25 percent with 11 percent undecided. Lazio and Paterson are statistically tied, with Lazio leading 40 percent to 39 percent with 16 percent undecided. The margin of error is 2.1 points.

The Quinnipiac survey paints pretty much the same picture of the Democratic Senate primary that other polls have. If former Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford decides to run, Gillibrand leads him, 36 percent to 18 percent, with 4 percent for social entrepreneur Jonathan Tasini and 40 percent undecided. For an update on that race, see the piece in today's New York Times on how campaign donors in New York are choosing between Gillibrand and Ford.

A year after her appointment to fill the seat of Hillary Clinton, Gillibrand still suffers from the fact that 44 percent of voters don't know enough about her to express a favorable or unfavorable opinion, although that's a big improvement from December, when 58 percent were in that category.

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