Memo: New York Polling

By Collin Mcdonough, Sean McElwee

Executive Summary:

Gov. Andrew Cuomo released his proposed $178 billion budget this week. With a Democratic trifecta in New York State, Cuomo has a strong mandate to expand the governmental services New Yorkers depend on. In order to determine what New Yorkers would like to see coming out of Albany, Data for Progress undertook a survey of 1,890 New York likely voters. The survey was conducted from January 13 through January 19, 2020, and measured support for various progressive policies and local, state, and federal candidates for office.

  • New Yorkers support a wide range of tax increases including an ultra-millionaires tax, a wealth tax and a tax on second homes by a margin of forty-nine points, with sixty-seven percent supporting to eighteen percent opposing (fourteen percent didn’t know).

  • There is overwhelming consensus among voters when asked whether they would prefer to increase taxes on those making over $5 million per year or cutting services such as healthcare and housing - seventy-five percent would prefer to increase taxes compared to just 8 percent that favor cutting services.

  • Allowing the New York Legislature to have more power in negotiating the state budget is popular among voters, with sixty-one percent in support of increased power for the Senate and the Assembly compared to sixteen percent opposed.