New York State Campaign 2006

Final Primary Poll

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY 6:00 P.M. SEPTEMBER 8, 2006

All references must be sourced WNBC/Marist Poll

Contact: Dr. Lee M. Miringoff

Dr. Barbara L. Carvalho

Marist College

845.575.5050

This WNBC/Marist Poll of New York State reports:

· Former HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo leads his closest rival former NYC Public Advocate Mark Green by 22 percentage points: Andrew Cuomo is the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for New York State’s attorney general with the support of 53% of Democrats likely to vote in Tuesday’s primary, including voters who are leaning toward a candidate. Former New York City Public Advocate Mark Green follows with 31%, and activist Sean Patrick Maloney trails with 6%. 9% of likely Democratic voters still remain undecided and another 17% say they may vote differently on primary day.

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

	Andrew Cuomo	Mark Green	Sean Patrick Maloney	Other	Undecided
Likely Dems w/ Leaners
September 2006	53%	31%	6%	1%	9%
Likely Democrats
September 2006	52%	30%	6%	1%	11%
August 2006	46%	28%	10%	1%	15%
Registered Democrats
September 2006	49%	29%	6%	1%	15%
August 2006	49%	24%	9%	3%	15%
July 2006	40%	25%	7%	3%	25%

Question Wording: Would you say that you strongly support (candidate’s name) somewhat support him, or do you think that you might vote differently on primary day?

Likely Democrats	Strongly Support	Somewhat Support	Might Vote Differently
September 2006	49%	34%	17%
Cuomo supporters	52%	33%	15%
Green supporters	46%	37%	17%

· Regardless of Tuesday’s primary outcome, both Cuomo and Green are early favorites against Republican Jeanine Pirro in the race for New York’s next attorney general this November: Both Andrew Cuomo and Mark Green lead Republican Jeanine Pirro by double-digits in early match-ups for the November contest for attorney general of New York. Cuomo receives the support of 56% of New York State’s registered voters compared with 33% for Pirro. 11% of registered voters are undecided. When Mark Green is matched against Republican Jeanine Pirro, he receives the support of 51% of registered voters compared with 35% for Pirro. 14% are undecided.

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

Registered Voters	Jeanine Pirro Republican	Andrew Cuomo Democrat	Undecided
September 2006	33%	56%	11%
August 2006	39%	54%	7%
July 2006	37%	51%	12%

Registered Voters	Jeanine Pirro Republican	Mark Green Democrat	Undecided
September 2006	35%	51%	14%
August 2006	42%	48%	10%
July 2006	35%	49%	16%

· Eliot Spitzer outpaces rivals in the race for New York governor: 79% of New York Democrats likely to vote in the primary on Tuesday, including those leaning toward a candidate, support Attorney General Eliot Spitzer for their party’s nominee for New York governor. Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi receives 14%, and 7% are undecided. In a match-up between Eliot Spitzer and his Republican opponent for November’s election for New York governor, Spitzer outdistances former Assemblyman John Faso by 46 percentage points.

Question Wording: If next Tuesday’s Democratic primary for governor of New York State were held today, whom would you support if the candidates are:

	Tom Suozzi	Eliot Spitzer	Undecided
Likely Dems w/ Leaners
September 2006	14%	79%	7%
Likely Democrats
September 2006	14%	76%	10%
August 2006	17%	70%	13%
Registered Democrats
September 2006	11%	73%	16%
August 2006	16%	73%	11%
July 2006	10%	75%	15%

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

Registered Voters	John Faso Republican	Eliot Spitzer Democrat	Undecided
September 2006	21%	67%	12%
August 2006	23%	67%	10%
July 2006	20%	69%	11%

· Most Democrats likely to vote on Tuesday support Senator Hillary Clinton’s re-election as their party’s nominee for U.S. Senate: Hillary Clinton has a formidable lead against Jonathan Tasini for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate on Tuesday. Clinton receives the support of 88% of likely Democratic voters, including those leaning toward a candidate. Clinton also handily outmatches either of her potential Republican opponents for November’s U.S. Senate race in New York. Former Yonkers Mayor John Spencer and former Reagan administration official Kathleen Troia McFarland trail Senator Clinton by 30 and 31 percentage points, respectively.

Question Wording: If next Tuesday’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in New York State were held today, whom would you support if the candidates are:

	Jonathan Tasini	Hillary Clinton	Undecided
Likely Dems w/ Leaners
September 2006	10%	88%	2%
Likely Democrats
September 2006	9%	88%	3%
August 2006	15%	80%	5%
Registered Democrats
September 2006	10%	85%	5%
August 2006	15%