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  And Now for the Issues...

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Tabular Results
Survey Details
Republican Response
Democratic Response

Property taxes easily top the list of issues New Jersey voters think the gubernatorial candidates should focus on. According to the most recent results from the Fairleigh Dickinson University poll, more than a third of likely voters (37%) choose property taxes as the top priority for candidates running for governor. Another quarter (23%) choose property taxes as the second-highest priority. In all, 60% choose property taxes as either their number one or number two issue. Corruption, health care and the economy make up a second-tier of issues. Security from terror attacks, the environment and suburban sprawl form a third tier.

Republicans are more likely than Democrats to cite either property taxes or corruption as their number one priority. Nonetheless, among those who choose either property taxes or corruption as the top issue for the election, Corzine shows at least as much strength as the Republican candidate who has made those issues the centerpieces of his campaign. Those who choose property taxes as the top priority for the next governor split 44% for Corzine and 40% for Forrester. Those who choose corruption as the top issue break for Corzine by 44%-36%. Both figures are within the poll's margin of error. “One might expect the Republicans to run way ahead on these issues since the governor's office and the state legislature are held by Democrats,” said Peter Woolley, executive director of the poll and a professor of political science at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Though a bill that would have offered a referendum on a property tax convention died in the Democratic-controlled legislature recently, 57% of likely voters think such a convention is a good idea while only 25% say it's not. And while the bill would have limited the convention to spending issues, 66% of voters say such a convention should deal with issues that affect state spending as well as property taxes.

Only a quarter of voters rate the legislature's performance as excellent or good while 65% rate it as only fair or poor. Still, 43% say they'd support Democratic candidates in the upcoming election for state assembly and 33% say they'd support Republican candidates. “While property taxes are high on voters' radar screen, the property tax convention comes in under the radar,” said Woolley. Two-thirds of voters say they've heard little or nothing about the convention proposal.

Meanwhile, Corzine shows strength on a number of personal characteristics. Likely voters give an edge to Corzine in five categories when asked which candidate for governor is better described by…

Forrester holds a small edge in one category: “which candidate…is better described by negative campaigner” (26%-19%), although half (50%) said “don't know” or “neither.”

“Many people are just beginning to form their opinions of these candidates,” noted Woolley. “There are still a lot of ‘don't knows' and therefore a lot of room for the public's views of the candidates to change dramatically. The gap in name recognition has all but closed,” said Woolley, “but there is still a gap in familiarity.”

Corzine also leads among those who describe their position on abortion as “pro-choice” by a margin of 55%-27% while Forrester has a 44%-35% edge among those who describe themselves as “pro-life.”

Corzine racks up a lead of 56%-24% among those who describe themselves as “pro-gun control” while Forrester leads 55%-30% among those who describe themselves as “pro-gun ownership.”

The PublicMind poll of 600 registered, likely voters statewide was conducted from July 12 to July 19 and has a margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points

 

 


Poll Analysis

Contacts:

Bruce Larson 973.769.1401

Peter Woolley 973.670.3239

Radio actuality line: (201) 692-2846.

For more information, please call (201) 692-7032.

Copyright © 2005, Fairleigh Dickinson University. All rights reserved. FDU PublicMind Poll [Latest update 050722]