Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research

Hillary is Clear 2008 Favourite for U.S. Democrats

October 09, 2006
Abstract: - Hillary Rodham Clinton remains the frontrunner for the Democratic Party's nomination in the 2008 United States presidential race, according to a poll by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion released by WNBC. 35 per cent of respondents would vote for the New York senator in a primary election.

- Hillary Rodham Clinton remains the frontrunner for the Democratic Party's nomination in the 2008 United States presidential race, according to a poll by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion released by WNBC. 35 per cent of respondents would vote for the New York senator in a primary election.

Former vice-president Al Gore is second on the list with 16 per cent, followed by 2004 vice-presidential candidate and former North Carolina senator John Edwards with 10 per cent, and current Massachusetts senator and 2004 presidential nominee John Kerry with nine per cent.

Support is lower for Delaware senator Joseph Biden, former Virginia governor Mark Warner, former South Dakota senator Tom Daschle, New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, Wisconsin senator Russ Feingold, retired general Wesley Clark, Indiana senator Evan Bayh, and Connecticut senator Chris Dodd.

Rodham Clinton—a former first lady—was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000, defeating Republican Rick Lazio by 12 percentage points. She ruled out a presidential bid in 2004.

In American elections, candidates require 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the White House. In November 2004, Republican George W. Bush earned a second term after securing 286 electoral votes from 31 states. Kerry received 252 electoral votes from 19 states and the District of Columbia.

On Sept. 29, Republican Florida congressman Mark Foley resigned from the House of Representatives after several suggestive e-mails and text messages he sent to former congressional pages were made public.

On Oct. 5, Rodham Clinton discussed the situation, saying, "This should have been immediately treated with the level of seriousness it deserves. There should have been an immediate investigation started, a bipartisan investigation that would have gotten answers."

Bush is ineligible for a third term in office. The next presidential election is scheduled for November 2008.

Polling Data

If the 2008 Democratic presidential primary were held today, whom would you support if the candidates are:
(Asked of Democrats and Democratic leaning independents)

Sept. 2006

Feb. 2006

Hillary Rodham Clinton

35%

33%

Al Gore

16%

17%

John Edwards

10%

16%

John Kerry

9%

11%

Joe Biden

5%

4%

Mark Warner

2%

2%

Tom Daschle

2%

--

Bill Richardson

1%

2%

Russ Feingold

1%

--

Wesley Clark

1%

3%

Evan Bayh

1%

3%

Chris Dodd

1%

--

Undecided

16%

9%

Source: Marist College Institute for Public Opinion / WNBC
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,018 registered American voters, including 345 Democrats, 286 Republicans, and 344 independents, conducted from Sept. 18 to Sept. 20, 2006. Margin of error for the subsample of Democrats and Democratic leaners is 4.5 per cent.