Recent polls show the presidential race virtually deadlocked, but not so much here in New York, where our exclusive YNN/Marist College poll shows President Obama with a commanding lead. There's also good news for some potential 2016 candidates. Our Bobby Cuza has the story.

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NEW YORK STATE -- There’s a reason you’ll be seeing President Obama in places like Ohio these next couple weeks and not around here. That’s because New York’s 29 electoral votes are virtually in the bag.

Our latest YNN-Marist College poll has Obama leading Mitt Romney 61 percent to 35 percent among likely state voters. Similar numbers to 2008, when he beat John McCain here in New York 63 to 36.

Marist College pollster Lee Miringoff said, "There’s a reason why in New York we’re not seeing a lot of TV ads tailored towards New York and that’s because he’s got just a huge margin."

So what about 2016? Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s name has been floated as a possible candidate and why not? Her approval rating’s now 55 percent, just 36 percent disapproval, a huge bump from our last poll in April, when New Yorkers were split: 42 percent approval, 42 percent disapproval.

A slew of campaign ads have likely raised her profile. It’s a far cry from 2010, when Republicans saw her as vulnerable.

Miringoff said, "People weren’t as sure about her. There was a greater unknown factor. It was a strong Republican year. If there was a time to make a strong run against Gillibrand, it was probably two years ago."

Now, our poll shows Gillibrand trouncing Republican Wendy Long, by almost three to one, 68 to 24.

Gillibrand of course, isn’t the only New Yorker thought to be presidential material. Governor Andrew Cuomo, another member of that club, continues to enjoy sky high approval ratings: 59 percent in our new poll. What’s more, 56 percent of voters believe the state is moving in the right direction, with just 39 percent saying the wrong direction, the brightest outlook since 2002.

"You have to go back 10 years to see the kind of numbers we’re looking at right now. So people are responding very favorably to what’s going on here in New York," Miringoff said.

And that’s something a presidential candidate could hang his hat on.