A statewide survey of 475 registered Rhode Island voters conducted Jan. 27, 2007, finds Sen. Hillary Clinton is favored over Democratic challengers and likely Republican opponents in the general election. Only 16 percent of R.I. voters rate President Bush’s performance excellent or good.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton is ahead in her race for the Democratic presidential nomination, according to a new statewide survey conducted by researchers at Brown University.

The survey was conducted Jan. 27, 2007, at Brown University by Darrell M. West, director of the Taubman Center for Public Policy and the John Hazen White Sr. Public Opinion Laboratory. It is based on a statewide random sample of 475 registered voters in Rhode Island. Overall, the poll had a margin of error of about plus or minus 5 percentage points.

If the primary were held today, 33 percent of the 341 voters who indicated they were likely to vote in the 2008 Democratic primary say they will vote for Hillary Clinton, 15 percent support Barack Obama, 8 percent favor John Edwards, 4 percent want Joseph Biden, 2 percent favor Christopher Dodd, 1 percent support Bill Richardson, 1 percent favor Tom Vilsack, 0 percent cite Dennis Kucinich, and 36 percent are undecided. The margin of error for this Democratic primary sample is about plus or minus 6 percentage points.

If the presidential general election were held today and the nominees were Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain, 49 percent say they would support Clinton, 36 percent favor McCain, and 15 percent are undecided. If the GOP nominee is Rudolph Giuliani, Clinton has a lead of 49 to 37 percent, with 14 percent undecided. And if the Republican choice is Mitt Romney, Clinton is favored by 56 to 26 percent, with 18 percent undecided.

If the Democratic nominee is Obama and the Republican nominee is McCain, 40 percent say they support Obama, 37 percent favor McCain, and 23 percent are undecided. If the GOP nominee is Giuliani, Obama’s margin is 43 to 38 percent, with 19 percent undecided. If the Republican candidate is Romney, Obama holds a 52 to 26 percent advantage, with 22 percent undecided.

Only 16 percent of state voters believe President George Bush is doing an excellent or good job (down from 22 percent last September). Sixty percent of Rhode Island voters rate the performance of Sen. Jack Reed good or excellent, down from 70 percent in the previous survey. Thirty-two percent believe newly elected Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is doing a good or excellent job (with 45 percent unsure). Fifty-seven percent feel Rep. Jim Langevin is doing a good job in Congress (up from 56 percent) and 51 percent believe Rep. Patrick Kennedy is doing a good job (up from 43 percent).

When asked about the job performance of state officials, 59 percent feel Carcieri is doing a good job as governor (up from 58 percent in September). Twenty-eight percent believe newly elected Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts is doing a good job (with 58 percent unsure). Forty percent think Attorney General Patrick Lynch is doing a good job, down from 51 percent in September. Nineteen percent feel new Secretary of State Ralph Mollis is doing a good job as secretary of state (with 58 percent unsure). Twenty-two percent believe Treasurer Frank Caprio, Jr. is doing a good job (with 57 percent unsure).

Sixty-seven percent say Providence Mayor David Cicilline is doing a good job, up from 58 percent in the last survey. Twenty-six percent believe House Speaker William Murphy is doing a good job, and 19 percent feel Senate President Joseph Montalbano is doing a good job.

Fifty percent believe the state is headed in the right direction, while 34 percent feel it is headed on the wrong track. In September, 46 percent thought Rhode Island was headed in the right direction and 39 percent believed it was off on the wrong track.

For additional information about the survey, visit www.InsidePolitics.org or contact Darrell M. West at (401) 863-1163.

Editors: Brown University has a fiber link television studio available for domestic and international live and taped interviews and maintains an ISDN line for radio interviews. For more information, call the Office of Media Relations at (401) 863-2476.

Survey Questions and Responses

If the Democratic presidential primary were held today, would you vote for: 4% Joe Biden, 33% Hillary Clinton, 2% Christopher Dodd, 8% John Edwards, 0% Dennis Kucinich, 15% Barack Obama, 1% Bill Richardson, 1% Tom Vilsack? 36% don’t know or no answer (based on 341 voters who indicated they were likely to vote in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary)

If the presidential general election were held today, would you vote for: 36% Republican John McCain or 49% Democrat Hillary Clinton? 15% don’t know or no answer

If the presidential general election were held today, would you vote for: 37% Republican John McCain or 40% Democrat Barack Obama? 23% don’t know or no answer

If the presidential general election were held today, would you vote for: 37% Republican Rudy Giuliani or 49% Democrat Hillary Clinton? 14% don’t know or no answer

If the presidential general election were held today, would you vote for: 38% Republican Rudy Giuliani or 43% Democrat Barack Obama? 19% don’t know or no answer

If the presidential general election were held today, would you vote for: 26% Republican Mitt Romney or 56% Democrat Hillary Clinton? 18% don’t know or no answer

If the presidential general election were held today, would you vote for: 26% Republican Mitt Romney or 52% Democrat Barack Obama? 22% don’t know or no answer

How would you rate the job George W. Bush is doing as president? 2% Excellent, 14% good, 26% only fair, 53% poor, 5% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Jack Reed is doing as US Senator? 21% Excellent, 39% good, 21% only fair, 5% poor, 14% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Sheldon Whitehouse is doing as U.S. Senator? 7% Excellent, 25% good, 13% only fair, 10% poor, 45% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Patrick Kennedy is doing as U.S. Representative? 9% Excellent, 42% good, 23% only fair, 15% poor, 11% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Jim Langevin is doing as U.S. Representative? 16% Excellent, 41% good, 20% only fair, 4% poor, 19% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Don Carcieri is doing as governor? 18% Excellent, 41% good, 23% only fair, 10% poor, 8% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Elizabeth Roberts is doing as lieutenant governor? 4% Excellent, 24% good, 13% only fair, 1% poor, 58% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Patrick Lynch is doing as attorney general? 5% Excellent, 35% good, 31% only fair, 13% poor, 16% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Ralph Mollis is doing as secretary of state? 1% Excellent, 18% good, 16% only fair, 7% poor, 58% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Frank Caprio, Jr. is doing as general treasurer? 3% Excellent, 19% good, 18% only fair, 3% poor, 57% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job William Murphy is doing as House Speaker? 2% Excellent, 24% good, 22% only fair, 8% poor, 44% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Joseph Montalbano is doing as Senate President? 1% Excellent, 18% good, 22% only fair, 14% poor, 45% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job David Cicilline is doing as mayor of Providence? 22% Excellent, 45% good, 12% only fair, 6% poor, 15% don't know or no answer

Generally speaking, would you say things in Rhode Island are going in the right direction, or have they gotten off on the wrong track? 50% right direction, or 34% wrong track, 16% don't know or no answer

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