By Suzanne Ma
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Two new polls show Gov. David Paterson gaining popularity in recent months, but one of those polls found that even though New Yorkers like him, voters still want a new governor.
The Siena College Poll found voters overwhelmingly support the governor's call for a state spending cap and term limits on state officials — his favorability among voters rose for the third month in a row.
And, according to the latest Marist Poll in New York State, 31 percent of registered voters think Paterson is doing either an "excellent" or "good" job in office. That’s up by 11 percent since Marist last asked the same question in November.
But, when asked if they would elect Paterson to a full term as governor, more than half of New Yorkers in the Siena poll — 60 percent — said they would prefer "someone else."
Only 21 percent of voters said they are prepared to elect Paterson back into office.
Meanwhile, a majority of voters want Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to run for governor rather than re-election as attorney general.
The poll also showed a tough fight ahead for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
After one year as Senator, 32 percent of voters view Gillibrand unfavorably compared to the 30 percent who view her favorably. Just 29 percent say they are prepared to vote for her in November.
Nearly half — 45 percent of New Yorkers — say they'd prefer someone other than Gillibrand to serve the remainder of Hillary Clinton's Senate term.
The Siena College poll and the Marist Poll, both released on Monday, telephoned more than 800 registered voters in the state in early January.
