February 26, 1998 - Ferraro Holds Lead Over D'Amato And Dem Pack, Quinnipiac College Poll Finds; Attorney General Race Doesn't Register With Voters Geraldine Ferraro holds a 50 - 38 percent lead over Republican incumbent Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, similar to her 52 - 38 percent lead from December, 1997, before she announced her candidacy, according to a Quinnipiac College Poll released today. If the 1998 Senate election were held today, New York City Public Advocate Mark Green would tie D'Amato at 43 percent each. D'Amato would squeak by another possible Democratic challenger, Brooklyn Congressman Charles Schumer, 45 - 41 percent. Ferraro leads the pack in a possible Democratic primary with 46 percent, followed by Green with 19 percent and Schumer with 18 percent. D'Amato's approval rating stands at 48 - 41 percent, compared to a 46 - 43 percent approval in a December 11, 1997, poll by the independent Quinnipiac College, and a significant jump from his low of 33 - 58 in a June 20, 1996, poll. "Sen. D'Amato's job approval rating, positive in December for the first time in years, is inching up," said Maurice Carroll, Director of the Quinnipiac College Polling Institute. "In Quinnipiac College's polls of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, we are finding incumbents at every level, from New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, enjoying record high approval levels, fueled mainly by the overall satisfaction with the economy. Connecticut voters even approve of Congress. "Sen. D'Amato is at the back of this bandwagon and hanging on." New York's senior Senator, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, enjoys a 63 - 17 percent approval rating and a 50 - 12 percent favorability, with 21 percent mixed and 16 percent who don't know enough to form an opinion. D'Amato's favorability is 36 - 35 percent, with 21 percent mixed and 8 percent who say they haven't heard enough to form an opinion. Among possible Democratic challengers, ratings are: Favorable Unfavorable Mixed No opinion Ferraro 42 24 19 14 Green 30 8 9 53 Schumer 23 10 9 58 "Rep. Schumer's advertising barrage has increased his name recognition and moved him into a tie with Green. If Schumer can keep spending -- and keep Green and Ferraro from spending -- he could win this thing. Anything is possible," Carroll said. "It looks like Schumer's success is at Green's expense, but Green has not yet begun to spend. "Since Ferraro announced she'd run, she's been all but invisible, all alone by the fund- raising telephone. But Democrats still make her a big winner in a primary and she holds a comfortable lead over D'Amato." State Attorney General Dennis Vacco has a 26 - 6 percent favorability, with 15 percent mixed and 53 percent who haven't heard enough to form an opinion. In a Democratic primary to challenge Vacco, "undecided" is the big winner with 70 percent, followed by Oliver Koppel and Catherine Abate with 7 percent each, Evan Davis with 5 percent and Eliot Spitzer with 2 percent. "Psst! Have you heard about the Democratic primary for Attorney General? Neither has anyone else. Each of the four known candidates gets only a smattering of support. Voters haven't focused enough to pick a favorite," Carroll said. From February 17 - 23, Quinnipiac College surveyed 1,326 New Yorkers who say they are registered voters. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.7 percent. The Quinnipiac College Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as a public service and for research. 2. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Daniel Patrick Moynihan is handling his job as United States Senator? Dec 11 Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997 Approve 63% 63% 63% 64% 55% 71% 66% 59% Disapprove 17 15 18 18 22 11 16 22 DK/NA 20 22 20 19 22 18 19 20 2A. Do you approve/disapprove strongly or somewhat? Dec 11 Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997 Approve strongly 24% 22% 27% 23% 16% 30% 26% 25% Approve smwht 39 41 36 41 39 40 39 34 Disapprove smwht 10 10 10 10 15 6 8 12 Disapprove strongly 7 5 7 8 7 4 8 10 DK/NA 20 22 20 19 22 18 19 20 3. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Alfonse D'Amato is handling his job as United States Senator? Dec 11 Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997 Approve 48% 49% 42% 55% 69% 31% 49% 46% Disapprove 41 38 47 36 19 59 42 43 DK/NA 11 13 10 8 12 11 9 10 3A. Do you approve/disapprove strongly or somewhat? Dec 11 Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997 Approve strongy 18% 14% 17% 25% 32% 8% 17% 17% Approve smwht 30 35 25 30 37 23 32 29 Disapprove smwht 12 12 14 10 9 17 10 13 Disapprove strongly 28 26 34 26 10 42 32 31 DK/NA 11 13 10 8 12 11 9 10 32. Is your opinion of State Controller H. Carl McCall favorable, unfavorable, mixed, or haven't you heard enough about him? Dec 10 Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997 Favorable 24% 24% 23% 23% 18% 29% 25% 25% Unfavorable 4 3 3 4 6 1 4 3 Mixed 10 10 11 10 13 7 10 11 Hvn't hrd enough 62 62 62 62 62 62 60 60 Refused - - - 1 1 1 - - 33. Is your opinion of State Attorney General Dennis Vacco favorable, unfavorable, mixed, or haven't you heard enough about him? Dec 10 Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997 Favorable 26% 34% 17% 24% 35% 19% 26% 25% Unfavorable 6 6 8 4 2 10 7 6 Mixed 15 17 12 14 14 15 13 14 Hvn't hrd enough 53 43 63 57 49 57 54 54 Refused - - - 1 - - - 1 34. Is your opinion of United States Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan favorable, unfavorable, mixed, or haven't you heard enough about him? Dec 11 Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997 Favorable 50% 51% 50% 50% 45% 57% 53% 49% Unfavorable 12 11 10 14 17 6 12 13 Mixed 21 20 21 23 24 18 20 23 Hvn't hrd enough 16 17 18 12 14 18 14 14 Refused 1 - 1 1 1 1 1 1 35. Is your opinion of United States Senator Alfonse D'Amato favorable, unfavorable, mixed, or haven't you heard enough about him? Dec 11 Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997 Favorable 36% 33% 34% 43% 54% 22% 36% 35% Unfavorable 35 32 39 33 16 48 38 36 Mixed 21 23 19 20 21 21 18 23 Hvn't hrd enough 8 12 7 4 8 9 8 6 Refused 1 - 1 1 1 1 - 1 36. Is your opinion of former United States Representative Geraldine Ferraro favorable, unfavorable, mixed, or haven't you heard enough about her? Dec 11 Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997 Favorable 42% 42% 46% 36% 27% 59% 42% 42% Unfavorable 24 22 18 33 37 9 25 19 Mixed 19 18 22 19 19 19 19 25 Hvn't hrd enough 14 17 13 9 15 13 13 13 Refused 1 1 1 3 2 1 1 1 37. Is your opinion of New York City Public Advocate Mark Green favorable, unfavorable, mixed, or haven't you heard enough about him? Dec 11 Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997 Favorable 30% 6% 54% 39% 15% 46% 30% 32% Unfavorable 8 4 8 15 16 2 8 6 Mixed 9 5 14 9 5 11 10 10 Hvn't hrd enough 53 84 24 37 64 41 52 51 Refused - - - - - - - 1 38. Is your opinion of United States Representative Charles Schumer favorable, unfavorable, mixed, or haven't you heard enough about him? Dec 11 Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997 Favorable 23% 8% 40% 26% 12% 33% 24% 17% Unfavorable 10 7 11 11 18 4 8 5 Mixed 9 5 12 12 8 10 10 11 Hvn't hrd enough 58 78 37 50 61 52 57 66 Refused 1 1 - 1 - 1 1 1 39. If the 1998 election for United States Senator were being held today and the candidates were Alfonse D'Amato the Republican, and Geraldine Ferraro the Democrat, for whom would you vote? Dec 11 Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997 D'Amato 38% 39% 33% 43% 71% 12% 37% 38% Ferraro 50 49 56 42 20 79 48 52 SOMEONE ELSE(VOL) 1 1 1 3 1 - 2 1 WOULDN'T VOTE(VOL) 3 3 3 4 1 2 4 2 DK/NA 8 7 8 8 5 6 10 6 40. If the 1998 election for United States Senator were being held today and the candidates were Alfonse D'Amato the Republican, and Mark Green the Democrat, for whom would you vote? Dec 11 Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997 D'Amato 43% 48% 31% 51% 79% 14% 42% 41% Green 43 33 60 39 10 76 41 46 SOMEONE ELSE(VOL) 1 3 1 1 1 2 2 1 WOULDN'T VOTE(VOL) 2 3 1 1 2 1 2 2 DK/NA 10 13 8 8 8 7 13 10 41. If the 1998 election for United States Senator were being held today and the candidates were Alfonse D'Amato the Republican, and Charles Schumer the Democrat, for whom would you vote? Dec 11 Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997 D'Amato 45% 50% 33% 52% 80% 17% 43% 45% Schumer 41 32 55 37 10 72 40 40 SOMEONE ELSE(VOL) 2 3 2 1 2 2 2 2 WOULDN'T VOTE(VOL) 2 3 2 2 2 1 1 3 DK/NA 10 13 8 8 7 8 13 10 44. If the 1998 Democratic primary for United States Senator were being held today and the candidates were Mark Green, Geraldine Ferraro and Charles Schumer for whom would you vote? Registered Dec 11 Democrats 1997 Green 19% 25% Ferraro 46 48 Schumer 18 12 SOMEONE ELSE(VOL) 1 1 WOULDN'T VOTE(VOL) 1 - DK/NA 13 13 48. If the 1998 Democratic primary for Attorney General were being held today and the candidates were Oliver Koppell, Catherine Abate, Eliot Spitzer, and Evan Davis for whom would you vote? Registered Democrats Oliver Koppell 7% Catherine Abate 7 Eliot Spitzer 2 Evan Davis 5 SOMEONE ELSE(VOL) 3 WOULDN'T VOTE(VOL) 7 DK/NA 70
