Cuomo fights back but suburban voters aren't persuaded

                                                                                    

State Sen. John Brooks (D-Seaford) with Gov. Andrew Cuomo today at Jones Beach news conference

 

Despite numerous investigations into alleged misconduct,  Gov. Andrew Cuomo continues to hold news conferences about the coronavirus pandemic,  weaving in family stories and corny jokes while urging everyone to get vaccinated.

He collects kudos from selected guests while denying any wrongdoing and defiantly refusing calls to resign from fellow Democrats.

Cuomo had another news conference today at Jones Beach, announcing a program to offer vaccinations in state parks. 

His in-your-face bravado has won him some support, according to a Siena College Research Institute poll released today.  His popularity has inched up statewide -- from 40 percent favorable last month to 44 percent favorable this month.

But not in the suburbs.

His ratings continued to slump among New York's downstate suburban voters, according to the poll:

His favorability among suburban voters dropped from 34 percent last month to 31 percent this month; his job performance rating went from 58 percent judging it fair or poor to 64 percent negative this month. And like last month, only 26 percent of suburban voters this month said they would re-elect him next year.

So that is likely why only one elected official from Nassau attended today's news conference: State Sen. John Brooks, a Seaford Democrat who ran unopposed last year.

Brooks is one of the few Long Island Democrats who has not spoken out against Cuomo. He instead joined with Nassau Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs, who is also the state Democratic chairman, and Democrats Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, who have said they want to see the results from an "independent" review before making any decisions.

Like other people who appear at Cuomo's news conferences, Brooks praised the governor today.

"I want to thank the governor the outstanding leadership he has shown during this whole pandemic process," Brooks said.

But Curran, who is running for re-election this year, wasn't at the Jones Beach event, just like she  noticeably was absent from a Cuomo news conference last month at the county's Bay Park Sewage Treatment plant for the ground-breaking of a county public works project. Not a single county legislator-- most are also running for re-election this year -- attended the county ceremony.

As one political pundit quipped, when told Curran was not at the governor's news conference today,  "She was busy measuring his office for drapes."

Yes, Curran has been mentioned as a possible candidate for governor next year. Bellone, who also did not attend the Jones Beach event. is reportedly mulling a run. And former Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, now a U.S. Congressman, has always had his eye on the governor's office.

But Cuomo isn't out yet.

The Siena poll was conducted May 16-20 among 793 New York State registered voters.