Rick Lazio may have gotten stomped in the GOP primary last week, but he still could play a big role in who the next governor is, a new poll finds.

The Marist College poll released Friday morning finds Democrat Andrew Cuomo leading Republican and Tea Party darling Carl Paladino by a 52% to 33% margin among likely voters.

But Lazio, who is still on the Conservative line, is at 9%.

Republicans are pressuring Lazio to drop out of the race in hopes it would boost Paladino’s efforts against the once-thought unbeatable Cuomo.

Lazio has until next week to decide. His decision could be a key factor in whether the race tightens.

The Marist poll is more in line with a Siena College poll released Thursday that showed Cuomo with a bulging 33-point lead over Paladino than a Quinnipiac poll Wednesday that had the Democrat ahead by just 6 points.

“Andrew Cuomo is ahead, and right now, this is not a close race,” said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.

But there are some potentially ominous signs that point to the race tightening.

Miringoff warned that Cuomo is being helped by the “Lazio factor” and added that “you can’t overlook the enthusiasm Republicans are bringing to this election cycle.

Among independent voters, Cuomo leads Paladino by a 44% to 33% margin. But Lazio is at 14% among registered voters not-enrolled in a party.

Cuomo also leads Paladino in the suburbs 52% to 30%, with Lazio at 16%.

In Paladino’s base of upstate, Cuomo and the Buffalo businessman are tied with 43% of the vote each, with 7% supporting Lazio and 7% unsure.

Another potential warning sign for Cuomo is that 51% of Republicans say they are very enthusiastic about voting on Nov. 2 compared to just 34% of Democrats and 31% of independent voters.

Cuomo’s approval rating as attorney general has also slipped, the poll finds.

Fifty-six percent say Cuomo is doing either an excellent or good job in office, compared with 64% in May.

According to Marist, Cuomo leads big among Democrats but even has 19% of likely Republican voters.

He is strongest in the city, where he holds a 65% to 23% lead over Paladino.

A big portion of voters who say they will vote for Cuomo say they are doing so because they want him as governor.

A hefty 39% of those planning to vote for Paladino say they are doing so because they don’t want Cuomo or Lazio to win.

Cuomo’s lead over Paladino among overall registered voters is slightly bigger–55% to 29%. Lazio is at 10%.

(Source: NY Daily News)