Exclusive Poll: Is Senator Whitehouse’s Lead Enough?
Monday, September 26, 2011
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse holds a commanding lead over Republican challenger Barry Hinckley, but the state’s junior Senator still shows some signs of vulnerability, according to a GoLocalProv survey of 403 registered voters.
Whitehouse leads the political newcomer 52 percent to 21 percent with 28 percent still undecided. More than half of Rhode Island voters view the Senator favorably (53 percent) while one-third view him unfavorably.
The poll, which was conducted by Starr Opinion Research, asked 403 registered voters for their opinions on a wide array of topics, ranging from pension reform to their views on the 1st Congressional District race in 2012. The margin of error for the overall sample was 4.9 percentage points.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTCredible Opponent Could Make A Challenge
Whitehouse’s large lead over Hinckley is due in part to the challenger’s lack of name recognition with just over a year before the election. The poll found that only 23 percent of voters are familiar with Hinckley and six percent have a favorable view of him.
But with the economy stalling and the state’s unemployment rate still among the highest in the country, Whitehouse’s current numbers suggest a credible opponent would have an opportunity to make a serious challenge, according to Josh Starr, who conducted the poll.
While the Senator leads Hinckley by 31 points, he has less than 50 percent support of voters when an opponent is not named. 29 percent say they would vote against him and another 30 percent are undecided, which suggests the race “may tighten as voters meet Hinckley,” according to Starr.
Whitehouse Needs To Maintain Hold Of Independents
Senator Whitehouse does not have as much support among Democrats as President Obama does in Rhode Island, but he holds a large advantage among Independent voters, according to the poll.
“One strategy the Whitehouse campaign might consider would be to maintain his connection with Independents, while benefiting from the Obama campaign’s efforts to fire up the Democratic base,” Starr said.
Whitehouse has also come out in favor of Obama’s American Jobs Act, which the White House hopes will slash the nation’s unemployment rate. Whitehouse praised the bill after the President delivered his speech two weeks ago.
“Tonight, President Obama outlined a much-needed plan to spur job growth in America. I was especially pleased to hear the President call for tax incentives for businesses that hire, which is something I’ve been fighting for. I’ve heard from Rhode Island business owners who are looking to expand, but just aren’t sure they can afford to do so, and these tax incentives could make a real difference. I also enthusiastically support the President’s call for investing in our transportation infrastructure to create good construction jobs, and for efforts to help our troops to find work after they return from combat.”
Hinckley Blasts Whitehouse
But Hinckley says the Senator has done nothing to cultivate job growth in his first term in office. In an e-mail sent to supporters Friday, Hinckley said Whitehouse and President Obama’s proposals have simply been broken promises.
“Sheldon Whitehouse has stood with President Obama for three years,” Hinckley said. “And where has that gotten us? They promised us jobs and a growing economy, instead we have record unemployment, a growing national debt, and now they are proposing tax hikes.”
Hinckley said Whitehouse has been in office to watch the country’s debt increase and the state’s unemployment rate skyrocket.
“Our national debt is set to double over the course of Sheldon Whitehouse’s first term, and our unemployment rate in Rhode Island has more than doubled since he took office,” he said.
Coming Today: Cicilline’s Numbers
Be sure to tune into GoLocalTV at 4:00pm to view the final results of the exclusive poll. Today, GoLocalProv will unveil the numbers for the 1st Congressional District, where Congressman David Cicilline may face challenges from both sides of the aisle.
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