Lincoln Chafee - Independent Candidate for Rhode Island Governor

Polls

Latest Rasmussen Report shows Chafee with wider lead

October 22, 2010

Rasmussen Reports

Republican-turned-independent candidate Lincoln Chafee now holds a seven-point lead over his closest competitor in the race to be Rhode Island’s next governor.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Rhode Island finds Chafee with 35% support. Democrat Frank Caprio picks up 28% of the vote, closely followed by GOP candidate John Robitaille with 25%. Moderate Party candidate Ken Block is a distant fourth with six percent (6%). Another six percent (6%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Just over two weeks ago, Chafee led Caprio just 33% to 30%, with Robitaille at 22% and Block with four percent (4%) support. The race now moves from a Toss-Up to Leans Independent in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Gubernatorial Scorecard.

In surveys since February, support for Chafee has ranged from 32% to 39%, while Caprio has earned 27% to 38% of the vote. In the same period, Robitaille has polled between 19% and 25%. This is only the third survey to include Block whose support has remained well under 10%.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The statewide survey of 750 Likely Voters in Rhode Island was conducted on October 21, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Robitaille, a former top aide to current GOP Governor Donald Carcieri, has the support of 76% of Rhode Island Republicans, while just 41% of Democrats favor Caprio, the state’s current treasurer. Chafee earns 16% of the GOP vote and 43% support from Democrats.

Among voters not affiliated with either of the major parties, 38% of the vote goes to Robitaille, 29% to Chafee, 15% to Caprio and 10% to Block.

Of the four candidates, Chafee is trusted most when it comes to the handling to five key electoral issues – economy and jobs, health care, immigration, government spending and government ethics and corruption.

A former GOP senator who succeeded his father in the Senate, Chafee is viewed favorably by 48% of the state’s voters and unfavorably by 50%, with 22% Very Favorable and 34% Very Unfavorable.

For Caprio, favorables are 49% and unfavorables 48%, including 22% Very Favorable and 22% Very Unfavorable.

Forty-nine percent (49%) hold a favorable opinion of Robitaille, while 40% view him unfavorably. This includes 19% Very Favorable and 15% Very Unfavorable. But 12% don’t know enough about him to venture any kind of opinion.

Block, a software engineer and businessman, is seen favorably by 35% and unfavorably by 41%, with nine percent (9%) Very Favorable and 14% Very Unfavorable. Twenty-three percent (23%) have no opinion of the Moderate Party candidate.

Fifty-six percent (56%) of Rhode Island voters approve of the job President Obama is doing. Forty-three percent (43%) disapprove. This is well above the job approval ratings the president earns nationally in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

As for Carcieri who is term-limited and cannot seek reelection, 44% approve of the job he is doing as governor, but 55% disapprove.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

Rasmussen Reports also has released recent polls on the 2010 governor's races in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free) or follow us on Twitter or Facebook. Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.

Click here for original article.

Permalink

Latest Rasmussen Report shows Chafee ahead with 33% to Caprio's 30%

October 6, 2010

Rasmussen Reports

The Rhode Island governor’s race continues to be a close contest between Democrat Frank Caprio and Republican-turned-Independent candidate Lincoln Chafee.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Rhode Island shows Chafee with 33% support to Caprio’s 30%, unchanged from last month. Republican nominee John Robitaille picks up 22% of the vote, and Moderate Party candidate Ken Block continues to trail with four percent (4%). Ten percent (10%) remain undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

These results are virtually identical to the findings last month just after Robitaille won the state’s GOP Primary. The race remains a Toss-Up in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Gubernatorial Scorecard.

Since February, support for Chafee has ranged from 32% to 39%. In the same period, Caprio has earned 27% to 38% of the vote, while Robitaille has polled between 19% and 25%. This is only the second survey to include Block.

The statewide survey of 750 Likely Voters in Rhode Island was conducted on October 4, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Click here for original article.

Permalink

Rhode Island Governor: Chafee (I) Holds Slight Lead

September 20, 2010

Rasmussen Reports

Election 2010: Rhode Island Governor
Rhode Island Governor: Chafee (I) 33%, Caprio (D) 30%, Robitaille (R) 23%, Block (M) 5%

Independent candidate Lincoln Chafee holds a very slight lead over Democrat Frank Caprio in the first Rasmussen Reports post-primary survey of Rhode Island’s gubernatorial contest.

The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters shows Chafee picking up 33% of the vote, while Caprio is right behind with 30% support. Republican John Robitaille comes in third with 23%, and Moderate Party candidate Ken Block runs last with five percent (5%) of the vote. Nine percent (9%) remain undecided.

The latest numbers shift this race from Leans Democratic to Toss-Up in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Gubernatorial Scorecard.

Last month, Caprio posted a 38% to 32% lead over Chafee. Robitaille picked up 20% support at that time. Block was not included in the survey.

Since February, support for Chafee has ranged from 32% to 39%. Caprio, who ran uncontested in Tuesday’s Democratic primary after Attorney General Patrick Lynch dropped out of the race, has earned between 27% and 38% of the vote during the same period. Robitaille, who defeated Victor Moffitt with 70% support in the GOP primary, has polled between 19% and 25% since February.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The statewide survey of 750 Likely Voters in Rhode Island was conducted on September 16, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Rhode Island Republicans support Robitaille, while just 49% of Democrats back Caprio. Chafee, a one-time Republican U.S. senator, draws 22% of the GOP vote and 34% of Democrats. Among voters not affiliated with either major political party, 38% back Chafee; 28% support Robitaille, and 14% favor Caprio.

Fifty-two percent (52%) of Rhode Island voters support the passage of an Arizona-like immigration law in their state, while 37% are opposed. Support for this measure is slightly higher in most other states and on the national level.

Nearly half (47%) of those who oppose such a law in Rhode Island pick Chafee. A plurality (41%) of those that favor passing a law like Arizona’s in Rhode Island supports Robitaille.

Chafee earns favorable reviews from 48% and unfavorable marks from 49%. While 23% view the independent candidate Very Favorably, 28% view him Very Unfavorably.

Ratings for Caprio, the state’s general treasurer, are 54% favorable and 36% unfavorable. Nineteen percent (19%) hold a Very Favorable opinion of the Democrat, compared to 13% who view him Very Unfavorably.

Forty-three percent (43%) view Robitaille, a former top staffer to current GOP Governor Donald Carcieri, favorably, while 33% view him unfavorably. Those numbers include 12% who view him Very Favorably and 13% who view him Very Unfavorably. But one-in-four voters (24%) are not sure what they think of the Republican.

Block, a software engineer and businessman, is the least known of the four candidates with 35% of voters who don't know enough about him to express any kind of opinion. Twenty-four percent (24%) view Block favorably, while 40% view him unfavorably, including four percent (4%) Very Favorable and 15% Very Unfavorable.

Sixty percent (60%) of Rhode Island voters approve of how President Obama is performing. Forty percent (40%) disapprove.

Fifty-one percent (51%) currently approve of the job Carcieri is doing as governor. Forty-seven percent (47%) disapprove of his job performance. Carcieri is term-limited and cannot seek reelection.

Unlike voters in much of the rest of the country, voters in Rhode Island tend to trust Democrats more than Republicans on the issues of the economy, health care and government ethics.

For more questions from this survey, see toplines. Platinum members get a deeper look.

Rasmussen Reports also has released recent polls on the 2010 governor's races in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Click here for original article.

Permalink

Linc Chafee is a tested leader of unquestioned integrity and a strong independent voice. As Governor, he will work hard to create new jobs, rebuild our economy, solve our chronic budget problems, end corruption, and forge a new way forward for Rhode Island.

Lincoln Chafee Press Bio

Press Releases