Polls: Many NYers opposed to mosque

Opposition to building a mosque near Ground Zero remains strong, says a Siena Research Institute poll of registered New York voters released Wednesday.

Sixty-three percent of those polled are against the plans - but 64 percent say developers have a constitutional right to build it, according to a news release about the results.

Three-quarters of voters have been following the proposed Muslim community center and mosque in lower Manhattan at least somewhat closely, up significantly in two weeks, according to the poll.

Nearly 25 percent of voters polled say "the position of the gubernatorial candidates on this issue will have a major effect on which candidate they support," the release said. Thirty-seven percent say it will have some effect, while about 40 percent of voters say it won't matter, The Associated Press reported.

Of those who see the issue as a major factor in their vote, almost all - 92 percent - oppose building the mosque near Ground Zero, the AP said.

The poll also said that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo is a huge favorite over Republicans Rick Lazio and Carl Paladino. But Paladino, who has taken the hardest line against the mosque project among the candidates, is continuing to gain on Lazio heading into the GOP primary and is also gaining on Cuomo, the state attorney general, the AP said.

Cuomo leads in both head-to-head and three-way matchups, the poll said. Voters said Cuomo will be more effective than either of the Republicans on seven key issues that affect New Yorkers, the release said.

"With less than 11 weeks until election day, Andrew Cuomo continues to be the prohibitive favorite to be elected New York's next governor," Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said in a statement.

The release says voters view the gubernatorial race this way:

"Cuomo leads Lazio 60-26 percent (60-28 percent in July). Cuomo's lead over Paladino is 60-27 percent, down from 64-23 percent last month.

"In a three-way race, Cuomo garners 56 percent to 19 percent for Lazio (identified as a Republican) and 12 percent for Paladino (identified as an Independent).

"In a three-way race identifying Paladino as the Republican and Lazio as the Conservative, Cuomo leads 56 percent to 16 percent for Lazio, and 14 percent for Paladino.

"Lazio's primary lead over Paladino among enrolled Republicans is down to 13 points, 43-30 percent, down from a 20-point lead (40-20 percent) in July."

The seven issues in which voters said Cuomo would be more effective are:

Ensuring the affordability of quality health care

Improving elementary, secondary and higher education

Reforming state government ethics laws

Fighting for fair, balanced, on-time state budgets

Creating new jobs for New Yorkers

Addressing the rate of local property tax increases

Holding the line on state taxes.

The poll also said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) has widened her lead over her GOP opponents.

"For the first time, more voters - 38 percent - would rather elect Kirsten Gillibrand to the Senate seat she was appointed to, rather than the 36 percent who support 'someone else,' " Greenberg said. "Additionally, her favorability rating improved to 40-29 percent, up from 34-29 percent in July. As a result, Gillibrand has widened her lead over all three potential Republican opponents."

The poll was conducted Aug. 9-16 by phone calls to 788 New York State registered voters, according to the release. It has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. It includes 189 Republicans, with a margin of error of 7.1 percentage points. Data was statistically adjusted by age, party, region and gender to ensure representativeness.

Complete results are at www.siena.edu/pages/1167.asp.