The former Massachusetts governor is up 12 points over his nearest rival, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, 32-20. The GOP primary is April 24, and although the race was assumed to be over by then, local Republicans have been preparing for a race that could still be close when it arrives here.

Mr. Romney has been struggling of late otherwise: he is currently trailing in Michigan, a state where he has deep ties and another poll out today gave Mr. Santorum the lead in Ohio.

Ron Paul grabs 14 percent of the vote in the poll, while Newt Gingrich gets 10 percent.

All of them however trail President Barack Obama by more than 15 points in a general election match-up, a figure could impact local races as the GOP tries to hold onto the State Senate and the handful of Congressional seats they picked up in 2010.

"New York is blue.  Voters give President Barack Obama only fair marks – on doing his job and whether he deserves to keep it – but he trounces the current Republican crop,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac Polling Institute.  “New York Republicans don’t seem to be joining the ‘anyone-but-Romney’ dance.”

The poll also shows that Gov. Andrew Cuomo is able to keep his sky-high approval ratings, with a 69 percent approval rating. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand  continues to struggle to gain traction with a 47 percent approval rating.