Marist Institute for Public Opinion

Marist College l Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 12601 l 845.575.5050

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, May 28, 2002

Contact: Dr. Lee M. Miringoff

Dr. Barbara L. Carvalho

Marist College

845.575.5050

This Marist College Institute for Public Opinion poll reports:

Governor George Pataki: At Highest Approval Rating

Question Wording: Would you rate the job Governor George Pataki is doing in office as excellent, good, fair, or poor?

 

Registered Voters

Excellent/Good

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Unsure/

DK

May 2002

72%

14%

58%

23%

5%

0%

April 2002

64%

15%

49%

28%

6%

2%

December 2001

65%

15%

50%

27%

4%

4%

April 2001

53%

10%

43%

34%

8%

5%

December 2000

55%

11%

44%

30%

10%

5%

March 2000

51%

9%

42%

35%

11%

3%

September 1999

51%

10%

41%

38%

9%

2%

July 1999

55%

15%

40%

31%

11%

3%

March 1999

61%

12%

49%

28%

10%

1%

October 1998

60%

14%

46%

31%

8%

1%

September 1998

62%

16%

46%

31%

6%

1%

April 1998

59%

11%

48%

33%

7%

1%

February 1998

60%

11%

49%

32%

6%

2%

October 1997

49%

7%

42%

39%

10%

2%

March 1997

47%

6%

41%

38%

12%

3%

November 1996

47%

8%

39%

36%

14%

3%

March 1996

39%

6%

33%

40%

17%

4%

September 1995

39%

5%

34%

38%

17%

6%

March 1995

36%

8%

28%

28%

16%

20%

 

Region

Excellent/Good

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Unsure/

DK

Suburbs

May 2002

81%

20%

61%

15%

4%

0%

April 2002

70%

16%

54%

23%

5%

2%

New York City

May 2002

69%

9%

60%

24%

6%

1%

April 2002

64%

14%

50%

26%

8%

2%

Upstate

May 2002

69%

13%

56%

26%

5%

0%

April 2002

61%

15%

46%

32%

4%

3%

Party

Republicans

May 2002

85%

20%

65%

13%

2%

0%

April 2002

73%

21%

52%

21%

3%

3%

Democrats

May 2002

58%

8%

50%

34%

8%

0%

April 2002

60%

12%

48%

31%

8%

1%

Non-enrolled

May 2002

75%

13%

62%

19%

6%

0%

April 2002

61%

12%

49%

30%

5%

4%

 

Governor Pataki’s Re-election Prospects

Question Wording: If the next election for governor of New York State were held today, whom would you support if the candidates are:

 

Registered Voters

George Pataki

Republican

Andrew Cuomo

Democrat

Undecided

May 2002

61%

30%

9%

April 2002

61%

30%

9%

December 2001

59%

31%

10%

April 2001

45%

42%

13%

December 2000

50%

39%

11%

March 2000

50%

40%

10%

September 1999

48%

39%

13%

 

Registered Voters

George Pataki

Republican

H. Carl McCall

Democrat

Undecided

May 2002

60%

30%

10%

April 2002

63%

29%

8%

December 2001

59%

29%

12%

April 2001

49%

39%

12%

December 2000

52%

37%

11%

March 2000

52%

33%

15%

September 1999

54%

30%

16%

Question Wording: If the next election for governor of New York State were held today, whom would you support if the candidates are:

 

Registered Voters

Pataki

Republican

Cuomo

Democrat

Golisano

Independent

Undecided

May 2002

58%

27%

6%

9%

 

Registered Voters

Pataki

Republican

McCall

Democrat

Golisano

Independent

Undecided

May 2002

58%

27%

6%

9%

 

Favorable/Unfavorable Impressions

Question Wording: Please tell me if you have a favorable or an unfavorable impression of each of the following:

Registered Voters

Favorable

Unfavorable

Unsure/Never Heard

George Pataki

     

May 2002

81%

16%

3%

April 2002

79%

17%

4%

December 2001

77%

17%

6%

April 2001

66%

27%

7%

December 2000

69%

25%

6%

Registered Voters

Favorable

Unfavorable

Unsure/Never Heard

Andrew Cuomo

     

May 2002

46%

35%

19%

April 2002

50%

27%

23%

December 2001

41%

26%

33%

April 2001

50%

25%

25%

December 2000

48%

25%

27%

H. Carl McCall

     

May 2002

48%

15%

37%

April 2002

51%

13%

36%

December 2001

45%

14%

41%

April 2001

45%

14%

41%

December 2000

42%

12%

46%

Thomas Golisano

     

May 2002

22%

17%

61%

 

The Race for New York State Comptroller

Question Wording: If the next election for comptroller of New York State were held today, whom would you support if the candidates are:

 

Registered Voters

John Faso

Republican

Alan Hevesi

Democrat

Undecided

May 2002

32%

41%

27%

April 2002

30%

40%

30%

 

Registered Voters

John Faso

Republican

William Mulrow

Democrat

Undecided

May 2002

35%

32%

33%

April 2002

31%

29%

40%

 

The Race for New York State Attorney General

Question Wording: If the next election for attorney general of New York State were held today, whom would you support if the candidates are:

 

Registered Voters

Dora Irizarry

Republican

Eliot Spitzer

Democrat

Undecided

May 2002

24%

63%

13%

 

Direction of NYS

Question Wording: In general, thinking about the way things are going in New York State, do you feel things are going in the right direction or that things are going in the wrong direction?

Registered Voters

Right Direction

Wrong Direction

Unsure

May 2002

65%

28%

7%

April 2002

66%

28%

6%

December 2001

65%

25%

10%

April 2001

58%

33%

9%

December 2000

64%

30%

6%

March 2000

60%

29%

11%

September 1999

65%

25%

10%

March 1999

64%

26%

10%

October 1998

68%

23%

9%

September 1998

68%

23%

9%

April 1998

66%

23%

11%

February 1998

68%

25%

7%

October 1997

58%

33%

9%

March 1997

51%

35%

14%

November 1996

51%

37%

12%

March 1996

36%

49%

15%

September 1995

35%

48%

17%

March 1995

36%

48%

16%

November 1994

25%

62%

13%

October 1994

22%

66%

12%

September 1994

24%

62%

14%

March 1994

25%

61%

14%

November 1993

26%

59%

15%

September 1990

28%

56%

16%

Question Wording: Do you think that New York State is currently in a recession, or not?

Registered Voters

Yes

No

Unsure

May 2002

62%

33%

5%

April 2002

68%

28%

4%

December 2001

76%

19%

5%

April 2001

46%

48%

6%

April 1998

27%

66%

7%

February 1998

28%

65%

7%

September 1998

23%

71%

6%

October 1997

36%

58%

6%

March 1997

42%

51%

7%

November 1996

48%

45%

7%

March 1996

56%

37%

7%

September 1995

56%

34%

10%

March 1995

59%

32%

9%

October 1994

67%

27%

6%

September 1994

63%

28%

9%

March 1994

70%

22%

8%

March 1991

84%

13%

3%

 

Nature of the Sample: 789 New York State Registered Voters

This survey was conducted from May 20th through May 23rd, 2002. 789 registered voters were interviewed in proportion to the voter registration in each county in New York State and adjusted for turnout in comparable elections. All interviews were conducted by telephone. The results are statistically significant at ± 3.5% for the entire sample. The error margin increases for cross-tabulations.

Race

Party

White

81%

Democrat

44%

Black

10%

Republican

34%

Latino

6%

Independent

17%

Asian

2%

Conservative

2%

Other

1%

Liberal

2%

Other

1%

Religion

Ideology

Protestant

31%

Liberal

26%

Catholic

48%

Moderate

42%

Jewish

11%

Conservative

32%

Other

10%

Gender (weighted)

Region

Men

48%

Upstate

45%

Women

52%

New York City

31%

Suburbs

24%