From the Q Poll:
In a 2014 rematch of the 2010 Connecticut governor’s race, Republican challenger Tom Foley gets 43 percent to 40 percent for Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.
Gov. Malloy is stuck in the mid-40s in other key measures, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds:
Voters have a split 46 – 44 percent favorable/unfavorable opinion of him;
Voters give him a split 47 – 47 percent job approval rating;
44 percent of voters say Malloy deserves reelection, while 46 percent say he does not.
Foley leads the Republican primary with 36 percent, followed by State Senate Minority Leader John McKinney with 11 percent, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton with 8 percent and House Minority Leader Larry Cafero with 4 percent. Another 37 percent are undecided.
Malloy tops these largely unknown challengers, but can’t break out of the mid-40s:
44 – 37 percent over McKinney;
43 – 36 percent over Boughton;
44 – 37 percent over Cafero.
“Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy gets a lukewarm job approval rating with as many approving as disapproving,” said Douglas Schwartz, PhD, director of the Quinnipiac University poll. “Since he has been governor, he has struggled with tepid job approval ratings, never rising above 50 percent. So it is not surprising that in our first poll on the 2014 gubernatorial election, ‘Mid-40s Malloy’ runs neck and neck with his 2010 opponent, Tom Foley. Foley gave him a run for his money in 2010, losing by less than one percentage point.”
“On the plus side for Malloy, Connecticut voters say 57 – 38 percent he has strong leadership qualities, no doubt due to his response to various crises in the state from Hurricane Sandy to the Newtown shootings,” Dr. Schwartz added.
“Foley leads among independent voters, a key swing group, by 21 points. The reason this race is close is because Democrats outnumber Republicans in Connecticut.”
Looking at possible 2014 Republican candidates for governor, Connecticut voters give Foley a 35 – 18 percent favorability rating, while 46 percent haven’t heard enough to make a decision about him. The “don’t-know-enough” for the other Republicans ranges from 75 percent to 84 percent.
On even his strongest approval rating, for the way he is handling gun policy, Malloy gets a 47 – 44 percent score. Voters are divided or disapprove of his handling of other issues:
43 – 43 percent divided on his handling of education;
55 – 35 percent disapprove of his handling of the budget;
63 – 29 percent disapprove of his handling of taxes;
57 – 35 percent disapprove of his handling of the economy.
Connecticut voters say 59 – 35 percent that keno should not be allowed in restaurants, bars and convenience stores. There is a large gender gap as men say no 52 – 42 percent while women say no 65 – 28 percent. Republicans, Democrats and independent voters all are opposed.
Voters support 57 – 37 percent Connecticut’s new gun-control laws and 32 percent say they are about right, while 35 percent say they go too far and 27 percent say they don’t go far enough.
President Barack Obama gets a 50 – 46 percent approval rating, close to his all-time low 48 – 48 percent approval rating in a September 16, 2011, Quinnipiac University poll.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal has the best approval rating of any statewide official surveyed, 62 – 28 percent, while Sen. Chris Murphy gets a 52 – 32 percent approval.
