Rhode Islanders believe the state is on the wrong track, they don’t believe their family’s finances have improved under Governor Gina Raimondo, and they are adamantly opposed to financing the proposed new Pawtucket Red Sox Stadium, according to a poll released Thursday by Socialsphere.
SEE RESULTS BELOW - SLIDES
On Thursday, John Della Volpe, Harvard’s Kennedy School’s Director of Polling at the Institute of Politics joined GoLocal News Editor Kate Nagle to unveil GoLocal’s Benchmark Poll conducted by Della Volpe’s firm Socialsphere. Della Volpe and his firm have conducted research for the U.S. Marines, the Boston Globe, Politico, Adidas, and ESPN and hundreds of others. He has done extensive political polling in RI over the years.
Della Volpe said that overall Rhode Islanders are frustrated with the economy, but pointed out that younger Rhode Islanders, specifically those under 35-years-of-age, and Democrats are most satisfied.
PART 2 OFF THE POLL WILL BE RELEASED FRIDAY AT 4:00 PM ON GOLOCAL LIVE
Relative to the direction of the state, the majority of Rhode Islanders said the state is on the wrong track -- 45 percent -- and 39 percent said it is moving right direction. Ten percent said mixed and 6 percent said they didn’t know or refused to answer.
The groups that thought RI was moving in the right direction were Democrats (65 percent), younger voters who were 18 to 34 (59 percent), and Metro Providence (58 percent). All other demographic or political subsets believed Rhode Island was going in the wrong direction. Most concerning for Raimondo must be that just 30 percent of independent voters believe RI is going in the right direction.
But, Della Volpe said that in the case of the proposed bonding for the stadium, even those groups are strongly opposed. Overall, only 28 percent support the proposal and 67% oppose.
The question asked, “Recently, a proposal has been made to permit the issuance of $81 million in bonds by the State to build a new stadium for the Pawtucket Red Sox. If there was an election today on this issue, would you vote to approve or reject issuing $81 million in financing supported moral obligation bonds to build the stadium?”
For Raimondo’s Democratic and younger base of voters, they too were overwhelmingly opposed to the bonding. In recent weeks, Speaker of the House Nick Mattiello has suggested that the project should go before the voters. And, RI General Treasurer Seth Magaziner voiced support for the project, but said the financing cost now being presented by the ownership group of the PawSox is underestimated and the State is a better conduit to the financing scheme than the City of Pawtucket's Redevelopment Agency.
Only 17 percent of the under 35-years-of-age support funding the stadium. Only 29 percent of college grads support the funding. And most damning is that just 26 percent of those living in the Blackstone Valley support the measure.
When it comes to voting, do you consider yourself to be affiliated with the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, Moderate, or Unaffiliated with a major party?
Next year, in November of 2018, there will be a statewide general election for Governor and many other state offices. How likely is it that you will vote in this election?
Will you definitely be voting, will you probably be voting, are you 50-50...
Recently, a proposal has been made to permit the issuance of $81 million in bonds by the State to build a new stadium for the Pawtucket Red Sox. If there was an election today on this issue, would you vote to approve or reject issuing $81 million in financing supported moral obligation bonds to build the stadium?
The next question is about the total income of YOUR HOUSEHOLD for the PAST 12 MONTHS. Please include your income PLUS the income of all members living in your household (including cohabiting partners and armed forces members living at home).
What particular ethnic group or nationality - such as English, French, Italian, Irish, Latino, Jewish, African American, and so forth - do you consider yourself a part of or feel closest to?
