Gov. Andrew Cuomo is back to being popular in New York. 

The Democratic governor began his tenure with a big mandate and popular support the crested after the approval of same-sex marriage in 2011. 

He used a lot of his political capital gained in his first term to win passage of a package of gun control laws in 2013, which ultimately led to a sustained drop in support from Republicans and upstate voters. 

The governor is popular with Democrats, liberals, suburbanites and New York City residents -- all parts of his coalition. 

Now amid the coronavirus pandemic, Cuomo's numbers are back up with Republican and upstate voters, according to today's Siena College poll. 

The poll found 53 percent of Republicans hold a favorable view of Cuomo as do 66 percent of upstate voters. 

Let's go back to roughly a year ago. A Siena College poll at the time -- right after the state budget was approved -- had Cuomo's favorables at 16 percent with Republicans and 35 percent with upstate voters. 

Cuomo's unfiltered daily briefings that are televised throughout the day to a virtually competitive audience can explain these numbers.

But then there's how he compares with President Donald Trump. When it comes to job approval, Cuomo and Trump are virtually tied with GOP voters: Cuomo is at 74 percent, Trump is at 72 percent. 

Here's where things get interesting: Who do Republicans trust more to handle how to open New York for business again, Cuomo or Trump. Republicans in New York pick Cuomo at 56 percent, versus 36 percent for Trump. 

Upstaters, meanwhile, trust Cuomo over Trump 77 percent to 18 percent. 

There's also across-the-board support for Cuomo's order to wear a mask when social distancing isn't possible -- including 91 percent of Republicans and 88 percent of conservatives. 

The anti-shutdown protesters that came to the Capitol this week to demonstrate against the mask order and call for a reopening of the economy are, simply, in a minority of a minority. 

Is this a matter of state officials knowing best regardless of party label? Is it a matter of Trump's relatively shakey daily briefings? Perception is in the eye of the beholder, of course. 

And the support Cuomo is getting now from upstate voters and Republicans could simply be something of a sugar high that, inevitably, could return to earth.