Fifty-Eight Percent Of New Yorkers Support Gay Marriage

Fifty-eight percent of New Yorkers support the legalization of gay marriage, a new poll released Thursday found.

The poll by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute found 58 percent of respondents in favor of allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry. Thirty-six percent are opposed and 6 percent don't know.

“New Yorkers support same-sex marriage, but their top priorities are the property tax cap and ethics reform,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Support is highest among Democrats (72%) and independent voters (58%), but a majority of Republicans (64%) oppose Governor Andrew Cuomo's plan to make New York the sixth state to legalize the institution. Support for marriage equality among men and women is nearly identical (58% for men; 59% for women).

The results mirror an April poll by the Siena Research Institute at the Siena College in Loudonville, New York, which also concluded that 58 percent of New Yorkers support gay marriage.

A survey of all 62 members of the New York Senate released over the weekend by news giant Gannett found eight senators undecided on the issue, including 5 Republicans. GOP support in the Republican-controlled Senate is critical for passage.