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New Yorkers Support Raising Minimum Wage To $15 Per Hour, Poll Finds

New York state voters, by a margin of 62-35 percent, support raising the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour over the next several years, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll.

New Yorkers support raising the minimum wage by a wide margin.

New Yorkers support raising the minimum wage by a wide margin.

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There is strong support from every party, gender, age and regional group except Republicans, who oppose the idea 65-32 percent, and upstate voters, who are divided with 50 percent in favor and 47 percent opposed, the independent Quinnipiac University poll finds.

Support is 85-13 percent among Democrats, 59-38 percent among independent voters, 77-21 percent among New York City voters and 61-36 percent among suburban voters.

Support for the $15 minimum wage drops, however, when voters consider four choices:

  • 41 percent support increasing the $8.75 minimum wage to something less than $15.
  • 37 percent support an increase to $15.
  • 11 percent support an increase to more than $15.
  • 8 percent want no increase.

"Gov. Andrew Cuomo caused a bit of a stir when he came out for a $15 minimum wage. But mainly liberal New York state voters like the idea by a wide margin," said Maurice Carroll, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. "Some wouldn't go quite as high at $15. A few would go even higher.

"The political and geographical divisions are equally predictable: Republicans are opposed; Democrats are overwhelmingly in favor," Carroll said. 

To read the full poll results, click here

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