SAFE Act Not Hurting Cuomo's Election Chances: Poll

MATTHEW HAMILTON

The SAFE Act, which was predicted to be a hot campaign issue in the 2014 elections when it was passed last year, doesn’t appear to be drawing quite as much ire as some critics anticipated.

A Siena College poll released Monday shows that 50 percent of voters either lean toward or are strongly with Cuomo on the controversial gun-control law. Just 21 percent either lean toward or are strongly with Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino’s stance on the issue. Another 15 percent said they were on the fence, while 14 percent didn’t know or didn’t have an opinion.

Upstate New Yorkers appear to be nearly split on the issue even though the region is where opposition against the law is strongest. In that part of the state, 33 percent identify with Cuomo while 34 percent identify with Astorino. New York City and suburban voters lean far more heavily toward Cuomo (64-12 in New York and 55-16 in the suburbs).

Astorino has called for a repeal of the legislation and introduction of an alternative law that would focus more on mental health.

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