Marist Institute for Public Opinion

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

FOR USE BY BROADCAST: Saturday 6:00 P.M. April 20, 2002

FOR USE IN NEWSPAPERS: Sunday, April 21, 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: Approval Rating Strong

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

Registered Voters

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Unsure/DK

April 2002

15%

49%

28%

6%

2%

December 2001

15%

50%

27%

4%

4%

April 2001

10%

43%

34%

8%

5%

December 2000

11%

44%

30%

10%

5%

March 2000

9%

42%

35%

11%

3%

September 1999

10%

41%

38%

9%

2%

July 1999

15%

40%

31%

11%

3%

March 1999

12%

49%

28%

10%

1%

October 1998

14%

46%

31%

8%

1%

September 1998

16%

46%

31%

6%

1%

April 1998

11%

48%

33%

7%

1%

February 1998

11%

49%

32%

6%

2%

October 1997

7%

42%

39%

10%

2%

March 1997

6%

41%

38%

12%

3%

November 1996

8%

39%

36%

14%

3%

March 1996

6%

33%

40%

17%

4%

September 1995

5%

34%

38%

17%

6%

March 1995

8%

28%

28%

16%

20%

Region

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Unsure/DK

Suburbs

April 2002

16%

54%

23%

5%

2%

December 2001

17%

53%

23%

4%

3%

April 2001

8%

46%

39%

5%

2%

New York City

April 2002

14%

50%

26%

8%

2%

December 2001

15%

41%

32%

5%

7%

April 2001

6%

31%

41%

15%

7%

Upstate

April 2002

15%

46%

32%

4%

3%

December 2001

15%

54%

24%

4%

3%

April 2001

13%

50%

27%

5%

5%

Question Wording: Politically speaking, do you think Governor Pataki is a liberal, moderate, or a conservative?

Registered Voters

Liberal

Moderate

Conservative

April 2002

11%

56%

33%

March 1995

13%

38%

49%

 

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

Andrew Cuomo

Undecided

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

H. Carl McCall

Undecided

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: Do you definitely plan to vote for George Pataki for re-election as governor or do you definitely plan to vote against him?

Registered Voters

Vote For

Vote Against

Unsure

April 2002

48%

18%

34%

December 2001

42%

19%

39%

Question Wording: Regardless for whom you are planning to vote, whom do you think would be the best governor for New York State for the next four years?

Registered Voters

George Pataki

Andrew Cuomo

H. Carl McCall

Unsure

April 2002

61%

15%

13%

11%

 

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

     

April 2002

79%

17%

4%

December 2001

77%

17%

6%

April 2001

66%

27%

7%

December 2000

69%

25%

6%

Andrew Cuomo

     

April 2002

50%

27%

23%

December 2001

41%

26%

33%

April 2001

50%

25%

25%

December 2000

48%

25%

27%

H. Carl McCall

     

April 2002

51%

13%

36%

December 2001

45%

14%

41%

April 2001

45%

14%

41%

December 2000

42%

12%

46%

 

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

April 2002

30%

40%

30%

 

Registered Voters

John Faso

Republican

William Mulrow

Democrat

Undecided

April 2002

31%

29%

40%

 

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

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

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%

 

New York’s U.S. Senators and President Bush

Question Wording: Would you rate the job Senator Hillary Clinton is doing in office as excellent, good, fair, or poor?

Registered Voters

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Unsure/DK

April 2002

11%

36%

27%

20%

6%

December 2001

11%

34%

23%

23%

9%

April 2001

9%

26%

26%

22%

17%

February 2001

10%

20%

22%

20%

28%

Question Wording: Would you rate the job Senator Charles Schumer is doing in office as excellent, good, fair, or poor?

Registered Voters

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Unsure/DK

April 2002

11%

44%

26%

6%

13%

December 2001

12%

42%

24%

7%

15%

April 2001

12%

37%

26%

8%

17%

December 2000

13%

38%

22%

9%

18%

March 2000

9%

30%

27%

7%

27%

September 1999

9%

35%

31%

8%

17%

March 1999

7%

34%

23%

10%

26%

Question Wording: Would you rate the job President George W. Bush is doing in office as excellent, good, fair, or poor?

Registered Voters

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Unsure/DK

April 2002

33%

39%

17%

10%

1%

December 2001

43%

36%

15%

5%

1%

April 2001

11%

29%

30%

23%

7%

 

Nature of the Sample: 808 New York State Registered Voters

This survey was conducted from April 11th through April 17th, 2002. 808 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

80%

Democrat

42%

Black

11%

Republican

32%

Latino

7%

Independent

22%

Asian

2%

Conservative

2%

Other

0%

Liberal

2%

Other

0%

Religion

Ideology

Protestant

29%

Liberal

24%

Catholic

49%

Moderate

45%

Jewish

10%

Conservative

31%

Other

12%

Gender (weighted)

Region

Men

48%

Upstate

45%

Women

52%

New York City

31%

Suburbs

24%