By Daniel Bases
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A solid majority of New York state residents are in favor of raising the minimum wage over the next several years to $15 an hour, according to a new poll released on Friday.
According to the survey conducted by Quinnipiac University, 62 percent of New York voters, across every gender, age and regional group, supported raising the minimum wage.
Republican voters surveyed were the sole exception, with 65 percent opposing the idea, while 85 percent of Democrats said they would support such an initiative.
Among voters overall, the poll found 35 percent were opposed while 3 percent did not know.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, proposed on Sept. 10 that the minimum wage be increased over the next six years to $15 an hour. In New York City, the proposal calls for that wage to reach its target by the end of 2018.
This would mirror a state order signed last week that applies only to the fast-food industry. However, an increase for all industries will require lawmakers' approval.
A Cuomo proposal for a more modest minimum-wage increase was opposed by the Republican-led state Senate earlier this year.
The current hourly minimum wage in New York State is $8.75 and will increase to $9 on Dec. 31.
The poll found 8 percent did not want any increase at all, while 41 percent wanted the increase to be less than $15 an hour. A further 37 percent thought it should be raised to $15 an hour while 11 percent thought it should go even higher.
Quinnipiac conducted the telephone poll from Sept. 10 through 15th, calling 1,366 New York State voters. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percent.