Poll: Cuomo keeps big lead over Paladino

ALBANY - With less than a month until Election Day, Democrat Andrew Cuomo continues to have a substantial lead over Republican Carl Paladino with likely voters, according to a poll released Tuesday.

The Siena Research Institute found that Cuomo, the state attorney general, beats Paladino, a Buffalo businessman, 56 percent to 32 percent among about 600 likely voters. Eleven percent were undecided.

Sixty-one percent agreed with a statement that Paladino is "a loose cannon who doesn't have the temperament to be governor," while 34 percent disagreed.

"Paladino has quickly become very well-known . . . not in a good way," said pollster Steven Greenberg. "By a nearly 2-to-1 margin, including a majority of upstaters and nearly two-thirds of self-described moderates, likely voters have an unfavorable view of Paladino."

Cuomo leads Paladino 54 percent to 35 percent on Long Island and in other New York City suburbs, and 70-17 in the city. They split upstate.

Voters are nearly evenly divided over who would be most effective in curbing the growth of local property and state taxes. Cuomo is far ahead of Paladino in terms of voters saying he will create jobs, improve schools, overhaul state government, reduce health care costs or restore pride to the Capitol.

The poll of 636 likely voters, conducted Sunday and Monday, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.