A couple of recent polls are highlighting the challenges for Republicans hoping to retake their traditional majority in the state Senate.<\/p>\n
The GOP has been handed plenty of openings: a clumsy freshman year for Democratic majority leader Malcolm Smith; rebellions within the Democratic caucus; the drag of an unpopular Dem governor; soaring property taxes…some fairly spectacular scandals and criminal probes.<\/p>\n
The Democrats have also waded into wedge-issue territory by pushing a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage. That might have been expected to dislodge some social-conservative Dems.<\/p>\n
But polls show that only around 35% of New Yorkers want Republicans to regain control of the state Senate.<\/p>\n
Even independent voters break for the Dems on a 55-33% split, according to Siena<\/a>.<\/p>\n A Quinippiac poll released a couple of weeks ago found much the same, with 55% of New Yorkers preferring that Dems hold power in the Senate.<\/p>\n The numbers indicate that Democratic leaders have won astonishing loyalty (topping 90%) from core voters; and they’ve also managed to hold more than 50% of Independents.<\/p>\n