State and National Public Survey, May 1998

January 1, 1998

May 16 to 18, 1998
N=357 Registered Voters
Margin of Error: +/-5 %

If the election for the first congressional district were held today, would you vote for the Republican Ron Santa or Democrat Patrick Kennedy? 19% Santa, 59% Kennedy, 22% don't know or no answer (first district only)

If the election for the second congressional district were held today, would you vote for Republican John Matson, Democrat Robert Weygand, or the Reform party candidate Tim Miller? 13% Matson, 54% Weygand, 5% Miller, 28% don't know or no answer (second district only)

If the election for governor were held today, would you vote for the Republican Lincoln Almond, Democrat Myrth York, Cool Moose party candidate Robert Healey, or Reform party candidates Don Gil or John Devine? 40% Almond, 32% York, 9% Healey, 1% Gil or Devine, 18% don't know or no answer

If the election for lieutenant governor were held today, would you vote for the Republican
Bernard Jackvony or Democrat Charles Fogarty? 29% Jackvony, 39% Fogarty, 38% don't know or no answer

If the election for attorney-general were held today, would you vote for the Republican
Nancy Mayer or Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse? 51% Mayer, 28% Whitehouse, 21% don't know or no answer

If the election for attorney-general were held today, would you vote for the Republican
Nancy Mayer or Democrat Eva Mancuso? 58% Mayer, 20% Mancuso, 22% don't know or no answer

If the election for attorney-general were held today, would you vote for the Republican
Nancy Mayer or Democrat Bill Guglietta? 63% Mayer, 11% Guglietta, 26% don't know or no answer

If the election for secretary of state were held today, would you vote for Republican Edward Lopez or Democrat James Langevin? 15% Lopez, 59% Langevin, 26% don't know or no answer

If the election for treasurer were held today, would you vote for the Republican
Christine Callahan, Democrat Paul Tavares, or Reform party candidate Victor Moffitt? 26% Callahan, 24% Tavares, 7% Moffitt, 43% don't know or no answer

If the election for treasurer were held today, would you vote for the Republican
Jim Bennett, Democrat Paul Tavares, or Reform party candidate Victor Moffitt? 20% Bennett, 26% Tavares, 8% Moffitt, 46% don't know or no answer

We are interested in how people are getting along financially these days. Would you say that you (and your family living there) are: 46% better off, 21% worse off financially than you were a year ago, 33% don't know or no answer

Now looking ahead--do you think that a year from now you (and your family living there) will be: 30% better off financially, 9% worse off, 55% just about the same as now, 6% don't know or no answer

Now turning to business conditions in the state as a whole--do you think that during the next twelve months we'll have: 63% good times financially, 16% bad times, 21% don't know or no answer

Looking ahead, which would you say is more likely--that in the state as a whole: 54% we'll have continuous good times during the next five years or so, 26% that we will have periods of widespread unemployment or depression, or what, 20% don't know or no answer

About the big things people buy for their homes--such as furniture, a refrigerator, stove, television, and things like that. Generally speaking, do you think now is a: 70% good, 9% bad time for people to buy major household items, 21% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Bill Clinton is doing as president? 18% excellent, 46% good, 21% only fair, 12% poor, 3% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job John Chafee is doing as U.S. Senator? 16% excellent, 53% good, 20% only fair, 3% poor, 8% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Jack Reed is doing as U.S. Senator? 15% excellent, 55% good, 16% only fair, 4% poor, 10% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Patrick Kennedy is doing as U.S. Representative? 12% excellent, 46% good, 19% only fair, 14% poor, 9% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Robert Weygand is doing as U.S. Representative? 8% excellent, 54% good, 16% only fair, 2% poor, 20% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Lincoln Almond is doing as governor? 8% excellent, 46% good, 30% only fair, 12% poor, 4% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Bernard Jackvony is doing as lieutenant governor? 3% excellent, 30% good, 24% only fair, 4% poor, 39% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Jeff Pine is doing as attorney general? 17% excellent, 52% good, 16% only fair, 7% poor, 8% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Jim Langevin is doing as secretary of state? 19% excellent, 43% good, 12% only fair, 1% poor, 25% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Nancy Mayer is doing as general treasurer? 25% excellent, 53% good, 9% only fair, 1% poor, 12% don't know or no answer

Generally speaking, would you say things in Rhode Island are going in the right direction, or have they gotten off on the wrong track? 70% right direction, 21% wrong track, 9% don't know or no answer

There has been a proposal by the Narragansett Indian tribe to build a gambling casino in Providence. Do you favor or oppose the construction of this gambling casino? 42% favor, 53% oppose, 5% don't know or no answer

Do you believe a gambling casino:

a) would benefit the Rhode Island economy? 55% yes, 39% no, 6% don't know or no answer

b) hurt Rhode Island's image outside the state? 30% yes, 63% no, 7% don't know or no answer

c) boost tourism in the state? 65% yes, 29% no, 6% don't know or no answer

d) increase crime rates? 53% yes, 40% no, 7% don't know or no answer

e) create meaningful jobs? 58% yes, 37% no, 5% don't know or no answer

f) cause people to bet money they can't afford to bet? 75% yes, 20% no, 5% don't know or no answer

g) help reduce taxes? 50% yes, 37% no, 13% don't know or no answer

h) reduce revenues the state gets from its Lottery? 41% yes, 41% no, 18% don't know or no answer

i) create more gambling addicts? 68% yes, 28% no, 14% don't know or no answer

j) improve funding for education? 40% yes, 44% no, 16% don't know or no answer

k) raise the level of organized crime activity in the state? 51% yes, 41% no, 8% don't know or no answer

l) is morally wrong? 24% yes, 67% no, 9% don't know or no answer

Would it worry you if an out-of-state corporation in the gambling industry financed the construction of this casino? 47% yes, 43% no, 10% don't know or no answer

Regardless of how you vote, do you usually think of yourself as a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent, or something else? 15% Republican, 26% Democrat, 49% Independent, 6% Other, 4% don't know or no answer