(CNN) - A new poll shows former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leading the GOP presidential field by a wide margin in New York, but a majority of voters statewide said they would choose to re-elect President Barack Obama if the election were held today.
Romney, who's making his second bid for the White House, was the choice of 32% of Republican voters in the state, double the support of businessman Herman Cain, who was second at 15%, according to a Siena College Research Institute poll released Tuesday.
And while Romney has the support of less than a third of Republicans in the Empire State, more than half believe he will win the party's nomination.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who's shown a recent surge in national polls, came in third with 12%. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann all tied at 9%, with 15% of those surveyed saying they had no opinion.
While Romney polls high in New York, he is in a virtual tie with Gingrich nationwide. According to a new CNN/ORC International Poll out Monday, Romney took 24%, while Gingrich took 22%, a margin well within the sampling error.
And while Obama carried New York in 2008 with 62% of the vote against Republican Sen. John McCain, the Siena poll revealed the president has less support today.
Fifty-seven percent of registered voters said they hold a favorable view of the president, but a slight majority - 51% - said they would vote for him. Still, those results mark an uptick for Obama, who crossed the 50% re-elect threshold for the first time since June, according to the institute's polling.
He also carries a wide lead over Romney in a hypothetical matchup, 59%-34%.
Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who's also up for re-election, appears to be in safe standing - 53% said they would vote for the one-term senator, while 30% said they would opt for a different candidate.
The Siena College Research Institute surveyed 803 New York State registered voters by telephone November 8-10 and November 13, with a sampling error of 3.5 percentage points.
Also see:
CNN Poll: Gingrich soars, Cain drops
Iowa poll: 4-way battle 7 weeks from caucuses
What's behind Gingrich's jump in the polls
Ron Paul is the only one that can beat Obama. Wake up Republicans before you choose Romney or Gingrich and lose in the General. Watch! Ron Paul or Lose your choice. Put down the remote and pay attention.
What do you expect from a city full of OWS types...
A Poll of 803 NY residents is hardly represented og the United States Voting Public but nice try CNN! Liberals just being Liberals. So typical! How about the 57 percent of Americans that disapprove of Bozo via the Gallup National Poll????
obama is losing the NY Jewish vote. They know he cares nothing for Israel, while he panders and bows to Islamist countries.
Boy!! What does that tell you about Romney or the rest of the pathetic GOP field of potential nominees?
Yawn. Meaningless poll. NY always goes dem.
Is it a shock to anybody that the dem will win New York? Even as incompetent as Obama is, New York, with all of the loons that live in New York City will always go for the dem.......otherwise they will lose all of their government hand-outs and actually have to work for a living.
The way I see things, rep. Gop. Tea party, and all the one per cent stand for a good Black Man to lead this country. Cain is foolish if he can't see this ! Look what the rep. Done ! Nothing but mouth. Slavery is over they can't buy u but break u !!!!!!