(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Eliot Spitzer remains the favourite in New York’s gubernatorial ballot, according to a poll by the Siena Research Institute. 67 per cent of respondents in the Empire State would vote for the Democratic attorney general, while 21 per cent would support Republican and former Assembly leader John Faso.
(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Eliot Spitzer remains the favourite in New York’s gubernatorial ballot, according to a poll by the Siena Research Institute. 67 per cent of respondents in the Empire State would vote for the Democratic attorney general, while 21 per cent would support Republican and former Assembly leader John Faso.
Republican George Pataki has acted as New York’s governor since January 1995. He was re-elected in 1998 with 54 per cent of the vote, and in 2002 with 49 per cent, defeating Democrat Carl McCall and independent candidate Tom Golisano. In July 2005, Pataki ruled out seeking a new term in office.
Two-time candidate Golisano and former Massachusetts governor William Weld—who were mentioned as possible rivals for Spitzer—announced earlier this year that they would not seek the governorship. Support for Spitzer increased by three points since May, while backing for Faso grew by four points.
Earlier this month, Spitzer proposed enacting a $6 billion U.S. property tax cut over three years, declaring, “This plan not only provides meaningful and immediate tax relief, it also outlines a detailed plan to fully fund this tax cut without putting the state’s fiscal position at risk and without simply substituting one tax for another.”
Nassau County executive Tom Suozzi has vowed to collect signatures from 15,000 Democratic voters in New York in order to force a primary election against Spitzer, which would take place on Sept. 12.
The gubernatorial election is scheduled for Nov. 7. Since 1943, New York has had four Republican and three Democratic heads of government.
Polling Data
If the election for governor were held tomorrow and the candidates were John Faso on the Republican line and Eliot Spitzer on the Democratic line, for whom would you vote?
Jun. 2006 | May 2006 | |
Eliot Spitzer (D) | 67% | 64% |
John Faso (R) | 21% | 17% |
Not sure | 13% | 18% |
Source: Siena Research Institute
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 623 registered New York voters, conducted from Jun. 12 to Jun. 14, 2006. Margin of error is 3.9 per cent.
