By Jill Colvin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Schneiderman who? Rice what?
Most New Yorkers have no idea who's vying to replace Andrew Cuomo as the state's Attorney General, let alone know which candidate they'll back, a new Quinnipiac University poll shows.
With just six weeks to go until the Sept. 14 primary, a paltry three percent of registered Democrats surveyed could name any of the five candidates currently in the race. Another nine percent offered names of people not running, despite numerous debates.
(Hint: Nassau Country District Attorney Kathleen Rice, State Sen. Eric Schneiderman, Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, former state insurance superintendent Eric Dinallo and former federal prosecutor Sean Coffey.)
“Suppose they gave a primary and nobody came," Quinnipiac University Polling Institute director Maurice Carroll said. "Believe it or not, the polls will be open September 14."
Still, a front runner seems to be emerging. While more than 70 percent said they wouldn't know whom to choose if the vote were held today, 11 percent picked top money-raiser Rice — more than twice as many as any other candidate.
And while the candidates are busy making the case for why the Attorney General's office should be granted new authority to open investigations into political corruption, most New Yorkers — 51 percent — said the office has enough power as it is.
The poll also found that Cuomo is still as popular as ever, with a 69 percent approval rating and a 2-to-1 lead over either Republican challenger in his race for Governor.
“It’s all coming up roses for Cuomo," Carroll said. "While he gets OK grades for battling corruption, his overall job approval rating is still stratospheric. And he continues to trounce either of the Republican wannabes, Rick Lazio or Carl Paladino."
The poll of 1,165 registered state voters has a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points, with +/- 4.7 for questions asked only of Democrats.
