A majority of New Yorkers would like to see Sen. Hillary Clinton appointed as U.S. secretary of state, according to a poll released Wednesday.

Fifty-five percent of the state residents surveyed by the Marist Poll say they want President-elect Barack Obama to choose Clinton to head the State Department. Thirty-one percent are opposed, and 14 percent have no opinion.

Clinton and Obama met in Chicago recently, inspiring speculation that her appointment as secretary of state may be close at hand. The Associated Press, citing a source from Obama's transition team, reported Friday that the president-elect is on track to nominate Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state after Thanksgiving.

If Clinton leaves the Senate, it would be up to Gov. David Paterson to appoint an interim replacement who would serve until a special election could be held in November 2010.

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is the current favorite among New York voters for such an appointment. Forty-three percent of the persons interviewed by the Marist Poll say they would prefer Cuomo to be the state's next senator if a vacancy opens up.

Two Downstate congresswomen - Nita Lowey and Nydia Velazquez - are a distant second at 5 percent each.

The Marist Poll is conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion in Poughkeepsie. It surveyed 613 registered voters across the state last week. The poll has a margin of error of four percentage points.