Polls & Research
Archive Search
Two-Thirds in New York Back Spitzer
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Eliot Spitzer could become the next governor of New York, according to a poll by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. 66 per cent of respondents in the Empire State would vote for the Democratic state attorney general in head-to-head contests against three prospective Republican rivals.
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.
Spitzer holds a 48-point lead over former Massachusetts governor William Weld, state secretary Randy Daniels, and former state Assembly minority leader John Faso. Nassau County executive Tom Suozzi is expected to face Spitzer in the Democratic primary.
Yesterday, Spitzer vowed to pursue tougher environmental policies in the state, declaring, "George W. Bush is, hands down, the worst president on environmental and energy issues that this country has ever seen. His legacy of environmental degradation will take decades to repair."
The next gubernatorial election in the Empire State is scheduled for Nov. 7. Since 1943, New York has had four Republican and three Democratic heads of government.
Polling Data
If the 2006 election for governor were being held today, and the candidates were Eliot Spitzer the Democrat and (the following Republicans), for whom would you vote?
Eliot Spitzer (D) 66% - 18% William Weld (R)
Eliot Spitzer (D) 66% - 18% Randy Daniels (R)
Eliot Spitzer (D) 66% - 18% John Faso (R)
Source: Quinnipiac University Polling Institute
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,674 registered New York voters, conducted from Mar. 21 to Mar. 27, 2006. Margin of error is 2.4 per cent.