Lincoln Chafee - Independent Candidate for Rhode Island Governor

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%.

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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.

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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.