I was studying these maps I made up the other day of the top of the ticket candidates in New York State from 2006-2010, e.g. Spitzer-Faso, Obama-McCain, and Cuomo-Paladino. One could easily to come to conclusion that Democratic Gubernatorial candidates of recent are more popular in Upstate NY then Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama who ran in 2008.

In the 2006 Spitzer-Faso race, Spitzer did very well except in Western NY, especially in the Southern Tier of NY. Most of the eastern half of state he won, often with 60% plus of vote, except for the most Republican areas of Adirondacks and places were John Faso once represented as Assemblyman — parts of Columbia County, Greene County, and Schoharie County.

Andrew Cuomo did comparatively poorly in much of Rural New York, while winning many rural communities, losing far more then his predecesor Eliot Spitzer won in 2006. Many of the anti-rural community policies persued by Eliot Spitzer probably did not win the Democratic Party friends in those areas. Andrew Cuomo did increase his strength in the North Country, most notably winning by strong margins in parts of Franklin County and South-Western Clinton County, not known for electing Democrats in the past.

Western NY outside of urban centers, is solidly Republican, and if anything is becoming more solidly Republican. It seems likely that Democrats will have a hard time making inroads in this area, if state and national trends continue.