Embattled Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s popularity is sinking amid sexual harassment and nursing home scandals, a new survey released Tuesday reveals.
The three-term Democrat has only a 38 percent approval rating from registered voters, while 48 percent of respondents disapprove, according to the NewsNation/WPIX 11/Emerson College poll.
By comparison, an Emerson poll conducted in April found a sky-high 71 percent of voters approved of Cuomo’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
But now nearly two-thirds of voters — 64 percent — said Cuomo should not be reelected for a 4th term in 2022 and it’s time to elect someone new. Even Democrats are split on a Cuomo fourth term.
In a troubling development, nearly half of voters — 45 percent — believe Cuomo should resign over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in nursing homes, compared to 36 percent of respondents think he should remain put — with the rest undecided.
Cuomo has come under fire for covering up for months the true number of nursing home residents killed by the coronavirus from lawmakers and the public because of a federal probe. A top aide to the governor admitted the withholding of information in a private meeting, exclusively revealed by the Post, which obtained a transcript of the exchange.
The fury also centers on a controversial state policy that required nursing to accept recovering COVID-19 patients discharged from hospitals without testing, which critics claim contributed to the death tally. Cuomo and state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker defended their actions.
While the nursing home controversy has raged for months, voters are now just becoming aware of the recent sexul harassment accusations leveled against Cuomo by three young women — two who were in his employ, Lindsey Boylan and Charlotte Bennett.
The poll found 37 percent of voters think that the claims of sexual harassment are grounds for resignation, while 34 percent do not believe he should step down.
The remaining 29 percent are unsure whether Cuomo should resign — at this time.
Of those who were aware of the sex harass allegations, 32 percent said they are at least somewhat satisfied with Cuomo’s response to the controversy, while 42 percent are unsatisfied.
When asked whether or not they believe the allegations are true, the plurality of voters — 44 percent — said they are unsure at this time. But for those who have an opinion, more than twice as many respondents think he’s guilty of harassment — 38 percent guilty while only 18 percent believe he’s not guilty.
The poll queried 700 registered voters on Monday and Tuesday and has a 3.6 percentage point margin of error.
“Cuomo is on a very thin ice,” said Emerson polling director Spencer Kimball.
“He’s holding on because of women voters. If that base of voters leave him, the bottom drops out,” Kimball said.
He noted 43 percent of female voters approve of his job as governor compared to 40 percent don’t.
By comparison, 56 percent of men disapprove of Cuomo.
Cuomo is facing growing calls to resign over the bombshell sex harassment accusations, which are being probed by state Attorney General Letitia James.
Cuomo’s latest woes began last week when former staffer Boylan, 36, penned a Medium piece accusing the 63-year-old governor of kissing her on the lips without warning and suggesting they play strip poker to pass a flight. He denied the claims.
On Saturday, another former staffer, Bennett, 25, alleged that Cuomo made inappropriate remarks and asked questions about her sex life, leaving her convinced he was in pursuit of a relationship.
And on Monday, the 33-year-old Anna Ruch — who said she had not previously met Cuomo — accused him of grabbing and kissing her on the cheek against her will at a 2019 wedding.
After Bennett came forward, Cuomo issued a statement apologizing for comments he called “jokes,” but admitted they could have been construed as “unwanted flirtation.”
He has not commented on Ruch’s claims, which included an incriminating photo of Cuomo with his hands on her cheeks and neck.
