CLICK HERE. / " title="FRANK CAPRIO, DEMOCRATIC candidate for the Rhode Island governorship, has a 12-percentage point lead over independent candidate Lincoln Chafee, according to a WJAR-TV NBC 10-Quest Research poll released on Tuesday.For a larger version of this image, CLICK HERE. /"/>CRANSTON – Frank Caprio, Democratic candidate for the Rhode Island governorship, has a 12-percentage point lead over independent candidate Lincoln Chafee, according to a WJAR-TV NBC 10-Quest Research poll released on Tuesday.
Caprio stood at 36 percent in the poll, which sampled 495 randomly selected registered voters, compared to Chafee’s 24 percent, Republican John Robitaille’s 13 percent and Moderate Party candidate Ken Block’s 2 percent. One quarter of the respondents said they were undecided at the time of the poll, which was conducted from Sept. 15-17.
Nevertheless, in Washington County, Chafee came out on top, with 33 percent, versus Caprio’s 19 percent in the area.
Poll respondents said jobs and unemployment were the most influential issues in their decision.
The NBC 10 poll contradicts a survey released on Monday by Rasmussen Reports which indicated a closer race with Chafee at 33 percent, Caprio at 30 percent, Robitaille at 23 percent and Block at 5 percent.
Rasmussen surveyed 750 “likely voters” in Rhode Island on Sept. 16 and holds an approximate 4 percent margin of error. The NBC-10 polled a fewer number of registered voters and holds a 4.7 percent margin of error.
The NBC-10 Quest Research poll also looked at Rhode Island’s congressional races; according to the survey, first district Democratic candidate Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, with 49 percent, is well ahead of his Republican opponent John Loughlin who came in at 26 percent. Cicilline and Loughlin tied, however, in Newport County. About 25 percent of respondents were undecided.
In the second congressional district, Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin commands 54 percent of the vote compared with Republican Mark Zaccaria’s 20 percent; 26 percent were undecided.
In other races, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts has roughly 44 percent of the vote, with independent Robert Healey trailing at 19 percent. The poll was taken before Republican Heidi Rogers pulled out of the race and registered her support at 11 percent. The undecided voters stood at 26 percent for the lieutenant governorship.
In attorney general race, Democratic candidate Peter Kilmartin took 37 percent, ahead of Republican Erik Wallin and independent Keven McKenna who both came in at 9 percent. Moderate Chris Little and independent Rob Rainville had 3 percent each, NBC 10 reported, while noting that a large portion of voters, 37 percent, remain undecided.
Incumbent Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis took 52 percent of the poll votes, compared to Republican Catherine Taylor’s 23 percent; another 23 percent were undecided.
The general treasurer race between Democrat Gina Raimondo and Republican Kernan King is mostly undecided, with 40 percent of the votes still up in the air.
I think it’s hilarious that Chafee’s defense of this poll basically involves “hey, this poll showed me losing my Republican primary election 2006, which I ended up winning despite being fired by the voters of Rhode Island for being too Republican…but elect me now” — all this despite his plan to raise taxes on gas, electricity, etc: http://www.ChafeesTaxPlan.com