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New Yorkers, by 48 percent to 37 percent, don't believe Kennedy is qualified to be senator. Democrats say by 47 percent to 35 percent that she is, but Republicans come down 65 percent to 24 percent in the other direction and independents also line up in that camp by 51 percent to 34 percent.

"Caroline Kennedy's stumbling start in her first interviews may have cost her the lead," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "It's close, but Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is No. 1 among voters in the race for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat."

Cuomo's favorable to unfavorable ratio is 57 percent to 10 percent with 32 percent not having heard enough to form an opinion, and even a majority of Republicans see him favorably. Kennedy's ratio is 39 percent to 29 percent with 31 percent not knowing enough to form an opinion.

In the Marist Poll conducted Jan. 12-14, Cuomo leads Kennedy among New York voters 40 percent to 25 percent with all others in single digits. Among Democrats alone, Cuomo leads 39 percent to 31 percent and, as in the Quinnipiac poll, he leads among Republicans, 40 percent to 16 percent. A month ago, Cuomo and Kennedy were tied at 25 percent.

Cuomo's favorable to unfavorable ratio is 60 percent to 21 percent. Kennedy's is 46 percent to 30 percent, a sharp drop from December when 62 percent of voters viewed her favorably.

In the Research 2000 poll, Kennedy and Cuomo were also matched up in a general election contest against Long Island Republican Rep. Peter King. Kennedy beat King 47 percent to 31 percent and Cuomo bested him 45 percent to 32 percent. Against former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, Kennedy led 49 percent to 32 percent and Cuomo by 48 percent to 33 percent.