NYS Poll: Voters Want Governor Spitzer to Resign
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: TUESDAY 11:00 P.M. March 11, 2008
All
references must be sourced WNBC/Marist Poll
Contact: Dr. Lee M. Miringoff
Dr. Barbara L. Carvalho
845.575.5050
This WNBC/Marist Poll of New York State reports:
·
Seven in ten New York State voters think Governor
Spitzer should resign from office: 70% of registered voters think Governor
Spitzer should resign from office after it was revealed that he was a customer
of a high-priced prostitution ring. 22%
think he should not have to resign from office, and 8% are unsure. A majority of Democrats, Republicans, and non-enrolled
voters believe he should submit his resignation.
Question
Wording: Law enforcement officials say Governor Spitzer
was a customer of a prostitution ring and arranged to meet with a high-priced
prostitute at a Washington hotel last month.
Governor Spitzer apologized to his family and the public. Do you think Governor Spitzer should resign
from office, or not?
|
Registered Voters |
Should Resign |
Should Not Resign |
Unsure |
|
March 2008 |
70% |
22% |
8% |
|
Party |
|
|
|
|
Democrat |
65% |
27% |
8% |
|
Republican |
81% |
14% |
5% |
|
Non-enrolled |
68% |
24% |
8% |
|
Region |
|
|
|
|
Upstate |
77% |
15% |
8% |
|
|
62% |
31% |
7% |
|
Suburbs |
70% |
24% |
6% |
·
Even if Governor Spitzer resigns from office,
more New York State voters think he should face criminal prosecution for his
actions than those who think he should not: 49%
of registered voters think Eliot Spitzer should face criminal charges for his
role as a customer of the Emperors Club VIP escort service, even if he decides
to give up his job as New York’s governor.
Republicans are most adamant. 64%
of Republican voters think the governor should be charged with a crime. Many Democrats do not think so. 39% of Democrats think Governor Spitzer should
face criminal charges. 47% believe, if
he resigns, Spitzer should not face further scrutiny, and 14% are unsure. 49% of non-enrolled voters think Governor
Spitzer should be prosecuted.
Question Wording: If Eliot Spitzer resigns as governor, do you
think he should face criminal charges, or not?
|
Registered Voters |
Should Face Criminal Charges |
Should Not Face Criminal
Charges |
Unsure |
|
March 2008 |
49% |
37% |
14% |
|
Party |
|
|
|
|
Democrat |
39% |
47% |
14% |
|
Republican |
64% |
23% |
13% |
|
Non-enrolled |
49% |
38% |
13% |
|
Region |
|
|
|
|
Upstate |
58% |
29% |
13% |
|
|
36% |
51% |
13% |
|
Suburbs |
53% |
33% |
14% |
·
If Governor Spitzer does not resign from
office, most voters want the New York State Legislature to impeach him: 66%
of New York State’s registered voters think the New York State Legislature
should impeach Governor Spitzer if he fails to leave office on his own. Even 57% of Democrats think the state
legislature should begin proceedings to remove the governor from office if he
does not submit his resignation. 83% of
Republicans and 62% of non-enrolled voters share this view.
Question Wording: If Governor Spitzer does not resign, do you
think the New York State Legislature should impeach him and remove him from
office?
|
Registered Voters |
Legislature Should Impeach |
Legislature Should Not Impeach |
Unsure |
|
March 2008 |
66% |
28% |
6% |
|
Party |
|
|
|
|
Democrat |
57% |
35% |
8% |
|
Republican |
83% |
14% |
3% |
|
Non-enrolled |
62% |
32% |
6% |
|
Region |
|
|
|
|
Upstate |
75% |
19% |
6% |
|
|
54% |
39% |
7% |
|
Suburbs |
68% |
28% |
4% |
·
Many voters think Eliot Spitzer has done a
poor job as governor: Governor Eliot Spitzer has no reservoir of
support among voters in the state. 36% of
registered voters rate the job Eliot Spitzer has done as governor as poor and
another 28% characterize his term in office as fair. This is an overall negative rating of 64%. Only 30% of New York voters rate his efforts
as governor positively. Even among
Democrats, only 34% rate the job he has done as governor as either excellent or
good.
Question Wording: Would you rate the job Governor Eliot Spitzer is doing in office as excellent, good, fair, or poor?
|
Registered
Voters |
Excellent/ Good |
Excellent |
Good |
Fair |
Poor |
Unsure/ DK |
|
March 2008 |
30% |
5% |
25% |
28% |
36% |
6% |
|
Party |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Democrat |
34% |
4% |
30% |
28% |
30% |
8% |
|
Republican |
22% |
5% |
17% |
25% |
51% |
2% |
|
Non-enrolled |
31% |
6% |
25% |
36% |
30% |
3% |
|
Region |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Upstate |
26% |
3% |
23% |
29% |
40% |
5% |
|
|
35% |