With a 21% approval rating and locked in scandal, 42% in a new Quinnipiac survey say New York Gov. David Paterson (D) should resign before his term is up at the end of the year. Paterson announced a week ago that he would not run for re-election, but new information about his interference in the domestic violence case brought against a close aid has fueled talk of his immediate resignation.

"This is the lowest approval rating ever recorded for an elected official in 18 years of Quinnipiac University polling except for former President George W. Bush and former Sen. Robert Torricelli of New Jersey, who had approval ratings of 18 and 19 percent just before they left office," the survey's press release states.

Just 46% say Paterson should finish out his term -- a 15-point drop in a matter of days. In a Quinnipiac survey released Wednesday, 61% said he should stay and 31% said he should resign.

“Support for Gov. David Paterson erodes with every new headline," said Maurice Carroll, Quinnipiac polling director. "Voters surveyed Monday and Tuesday were in favor of keeping Paterson by a net 30 points. On Wednesday and Thursday, voter support was a net four points. That's a 26-point drop in two days."

The survey was conducted March 3-4 of 1,325 RV with a margin of error of +/- 2.7%.

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