In elections today 10/29/10 for Governor and US Senate, Democratic candidates defeat their Republican opponents in each of 3 races polled in this latest SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for Gannett, including WGRZ-TV in Buffalo, The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, and the Journal News in White Plains.

In the race for Governor, Democrat Andrew Cuomo defeats Republican Carl Paladino 55% to 33% today. Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll released 5 weeks ago, Cuomo is up 6 points; Paladino is down 7. Paladino continues to lead in Western New York, but has lost upstate voters and those in the New York City suburbs. In NYC itself, Cuomo had led 2:1, now leads 7:2.

5 weeks ago, in polling released 8 days after Paladino defeated Rick Lazio in the Republican primary, 35% of likely voters had a favorable opinion of Paladino, 31% a negative opinion. Today, a dramatic shift: 24% have a favorable opinion of the Republican nominee, 49% a negative opinion. Democrat Cuomo’s favorability ratings, over the same time period, saw little change.

In the Special Election to fill the final 2 years of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s US Senate term, incumbent Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand today defeats Republican Joe DioGuardi by 20 points. Compared to 5 weeks ago, Gillibrand is up 11 points; DioGuardi is down 8. Republicans are twice as likely to cross over and vote for Gillibrand as Democrats are to cross over and vote for DioGuardi.

In New York’s General Election for US Senate, incumbent Democrat Chuck Schumer is easily reelected, defeating Republican Jay Townsend by a 2:1 margin. 27% of Republicans vote for Schumer; 9% of Democrats vote for Townsend.

None of the 3 Republican candidates get more than 28% of the vote among women; Paladino and DioGuardi each trail by just 4 points among men.