(CNN) – A new poll of New York state voters indicates Rudy Giuliani leads incumbent Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in a hypothetical Senate race.
According to a Marist College survey released Thursday afternoon, 54 percent of registered voters in New York support the former New York City mayor for Senate, with four in 10 backing Gillibrand, a Democratic congresswoman from upstate New York who was appointed to fill Hillary Clinton's former Senate seat. Gillibrand is running in 2010 to serve the final two years of Clinton's term.
The poll indicates that Giuliani would top former New York State Gov. George Pataki 71 percent to 24 percent in a hypothetical Republican Senate primary next year. In September, Pataki wouldn't say if he was interested in making a bid for the senate seat held by Gillibrand. Earlier this year, fellow Republican Rep. Peter King officially announced that he would not challenge Gillbrand next year.
According to the poll, Giuliani leads Gillibrand overwhelmingly among registered Republicans, tops her by 14 points among independents, and trails her by 26 points among registered Democrats. The survey indicates that New York City voters are divided between Giuliani and Gillibrand.
The Marist College poll was conducted November 12, 16 and 17, with 805 registered New York state voters questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
The poll's release comes as a spokeswoman for Giuliani says the former mayor has not made up his mind about running for New York governor next year. Maria Comella was responding to a Thurday New York Times report that quoted unnamed sources saying Giuliani had decided not to run for New York governor in 2010.
There's speculation that if Giuliani decided against a run for governor, he might consider making a bid for the Senate. Top New York Republicans have reportedly urged Giuliani to run for the Senate in 2010.
Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn
From CNN Politics
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That's not a bad showing for Gillibrand considering just name recognition and that there hasn't even been a campaign yet. She is a great candidate and Senator and I'm sure NY will realize that very soon.
......Please, Go Away!...I mean, Please, Go Away...........mr...911....
That would certainly be a step back for NY. I wonder who the Conservative (Palin-backed) candidate will be.
Haven't New Yorkers, who haven't voted for a Republican for president in many years, been listening to what this bozo has actually been saying? Drill Baby Drill? Really??? Wake up New York... please...
How awful!
God help NYS if he wins. Glad I got out of there when I did. Have a nice day!
this guy's like teflon...
I guess that the GOP and NY voters don't have a problem with serial adulterers. I can't wait to see what the Christian Far Right can come up with to support this guy.
What is this nonsense? Pull out the media pom-poms for Giuliani day? Please.
Regardless party, who in the heck would vote Rudy for anything with his disgusting use of a national tragedy for the sake of politics?? Sorry, but that's just gross.
I don't know who they poll. Not me, not my family, not my friends, not my co-workers. I wish this man would go away. He's a hypocrite. He's spent too much time on Fox News. He won't get my vote. However, if Gillibrand loses it will be the fault of Gov. Patterson. He didn't want to lesson to the leaders of his own party. He won't get my vote either.
He has been on top in the polls before "florida" right?
Jeez won't Old Skull Face go away???
NEW BLOOD is what this country needs.....
Really!!! hehehehehe! READY? (SIC)!!
He knows he can't beat Cuomo, so now he's after Sen. Gillibrands seat? Rudy, your time is up. As a native NewYorker, I applaud you for cleaning up the city in the late 90's. I actually supported you then. But after hearing your hypocracy and your support of Sarah Palin, I've lost all respect for you. I recall you stating after the 1993 WTC bombing that the terrorists will face their real enemy(THE LAW). Now you think NYC can't handle these scumbags?!?!?! Give me a break and retire to your front row Yankee seats.
GO YANKEES!!!!
That is Total BULL !!!!!
Well, if thats true... New Yorkers better wake-up.
Giuliani won in NYC twice in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans at least 2 to 1. Upsate leans Republican. So if he splits the city, he's won the state.
lolol...for the party that was "never going to lose another election" it sure looks like the dumbs are going to lose alot of elections.
I agree with u GJ!!!!!!
He deserved all the respect possible for cleaning New York, even with those police violence cases (that were dealt with accordingly BTW) and for his actions immediately after 9/11.
That's what I think.
Because what he has been doing ever since he left the Mayor's Office is quite disgusting!
I love it! NYS is over 60% liberal and one of their own can't get 40% of the poll!!
Liberals have spent the last 50 years killing NYS!! Our senators have done the WORST job representing us, for every federal dollar we pay in taxes we only get $.82 in services!!
Schumer, Clinton, Gillibrand you have ALL been failures to this state! Get rid of them all!
GOD help us, IF Rudy is elected!
I voted for Rudy Giuliani once but that was before his God complex and his support of radical conservatives. Never again. We here in NYC remember way too much funny business from this guy to ever want him to represent us again. Plus he's constitutionally incapable of playing well with others and would never be able to act as an equal among equals in the Senate.
I don't know who would vote for him over Gillibrand. She seems to be doing a good job so far.
I'd rather him run for governor. Although I'm a loyal democrat, he'd easily get my vote over Cuomo... that guy's pretty slimy – if he didn't have the name 'Cuomo', he'd never have made it this far.
Rudys "D" man. Not afraid to tell the truth.