New Yorkers divided over Clinton successor

By Edith Honan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - More New Yorkers prefer state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo over Caroline Kennedy to fill Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, according to a poll released on Wednesday.

Kennedy, the daughter of slain President John Kennedy, and Cuomo, the son of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, are considered top contenders to succeed Clinton, who has been nominated to serve as secretary of state by President-elect Barack Obama.

The poll by Quinnipiac University found that while a quarter of the registered voters surveyed favor Kennedy over other candidates, 31 percent prefer Cuomo.

Right now there is no vacancy and will not be until Clinton is confirmed post after Obama becomes president on Tuesday.

New York Gov. David Paterson, who has the authority to appoint Clinton's replacement, suggested during a press conference on Wednesday that he would wait until then to announce his choice.

Kennedy has no experience in public office but has made her interest in the seat known. She has come under criticism for giving what some found to be vague or inarticulate answers in media interviews.

"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.

Nearly half of the voters surveyed believe Kennedy is unqualified to assume Clinton's seat, the poll said. The poll did not include a question about Cuomo's qualifications.

Nevertheless, 38 percent of those polled said they think Paterson will choose Kennedy. Whoever Paterson chooses will face an election in 2010.

Kennedy, 51, whose uncle Robert served as a senator from New York before he was assassinated in 1968, endorsed Obama over Clinton in their presidential race last year and helped him find his vice presidential candidate.

Cuomo, also 51, served as secretary of housing and urban development under President Bill Clinton. He is divorced from Kerry Kennedy, who is Caroline Kennedy's cousin.

The survey of 1,664 registered voters in New York conducted January 8 to 12 had a margin of error of 2.4 percentage points.

(Reporting by Edith Honan and Joan Gralla; editing by David Wiessler)