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New Poll Shows Cuomo With Big Lead Over Paladino

ALBANY, NY (AP) -A poll less than two weeks before Elections Day shows Andrew Cuomo with an "overwhelming'' lead over Republican Carl Paladino in the race for governor but narrowing leads for two other Democrats in statewide contests.

The Siena College poll released Wednesday found Cuomo, the state's attorney general, leading the tea party-backed Buffalo businessman by 37 points among likely voters, 63 to 26, with 9 percent undecided. Paladino was viewed unfavorably by 69 percent of voters, the poll showed.

"The fact that two-thirds of voters view Paladino unfavorably makes his challenge virtually impossible,'' said Siena's Steven Greenberg.

In the attorney general's race, the poll found Republican Dan Donovan now trailing Democrat Eric Schneiderman by just 7 points, 44 to 37, with 19 percent undecided. In a Siena poll of registered voters released Sept. 23, Schneiderman's lead was 45 percent to 32 percent. That poll included voters considered unlikely to vote Nov. 2.

Meanwhile, Democratic state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's lead over Republican Harry Wilson has been trimmed to a still substantial 17 points. The poll reported 49 percent of voters would choose DiNapoli, with 32 percent picking political newcomer Wilson. Four weeks ago, DiNapoli had a 26-point lead in Siena's poll of registered voters.

Democrats maintain strong leads in the races for two U.S. Senate seats.

Sen. Charles Schumer led Republican Jay Townsend 67 percent to 28 percent and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand led Republican Joe DioGuardi 60 percent to 31 percent.

Siena interviewed 647 likely voters from Thursday through Monday. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 points.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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