SEPTEMBER 2006 PLAIN DEALER OHIO POLL 625 registered voters interviewed statewide September 25-27, 2006 by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc. of Washington, D.C. Margin for error is plus or minus 4%. NAME RECOGNITION: I am going to read the names of several candidates for public office. The first name is. Do you recognize that name? (IF YES) Do you have a favorable, unfavorable or neutral opinion of? U.S. SENATE RECOGNIZE RECOGNIZE RECOGNIZE DON'T FAVORABLE UNFAVORABLE NEUTRAL RECOGNIZE Mike DeWine 41% 33% 24% 2% Sherrod Brown 39% 22% 30% 9% GOVERNOR Ted Strickland 46% 20% 28% 6% Ken Blackwell 32% 45% 20% 3% ATTORNEY GENERAL Betty Montgomery 44% 18% 29% 9% Marc Dann 15% 8% 24% 53% 1
RECOGNIZE RECOGNIZE RECOGNIZE DON'T FAVORABLE UNFAVORABLE NEUTRAL RECOGNIZE SECRETARY OF STATE Jennifer Brunner 8% 2% 19% 71% Greg Hartmann 7% 3% 21% 69% STATE TREASURER Sandra O Brein 10% 5% 23% 62% Richard Cordray 9% 2% 22% 67% STATE AUDITOR Barbara Sykes 11% 5% 21% 63% Mary Taylor 6% 3% 20% 71% 2
QUESTION: If the 2006 election for Ohio s U.S. Senate seat were held today, would you vote for - Sherrod Brown, Democrat - Mike DeWine, Republican - Richard Duncan DEWINE BROWN DUNCAN UNDECIDED STATE 43% 45% 2% 10% REGION DEWINE BROWN DUNCAN UNDECIDED Northeast Ohio 36% 55% 2% 7% Northwest Ohio 42% 43% 1% 14% Central Ohio 46% 42% 2% 10% Southeast Ohio 42% 45% 2% 11% Southwest Ohio 52% 31% 2% 15% SEX DEWINE BROWN DUNCAN UNDECIDED Men 47% 43% 2% 8% Women 39% 47% 2% 12% RACE DEWINE BROWN DUNCAN UNDECIDED Whites 47% 41% 2% 10% Blacks 7% 83% - 10% PARTY ID DEWINE BROWN DUNCAN UNDECIDED Democrat 7% 84% 1% 8% Republican 81% 6% 3% 10% Independent 33% 52% 2% 13% 3
QUESTION: If the 2006 election for Governor & Lieutenant Governor were held today, would you vote for: - Ted Strickland & Lee Fisher, the Democratic Party ticket - Kenneth Blackwell & Tom Raga, the Republican Party ticket - Bob Fitrakis & Anita Rios - Bill Peirce & Mark Noble, STRICKLAND BLACKWELL OTHERS UNDECIDED STATE 53% 36% 2% 9% REGION STRICKLAND BLACKWELL OTHERS UNDECIDED Northeast Ohio 60% 27% 3% 10% Northwest Ohio 51% 38% - 11% Central Ohio 54% 35% 3% 9% Southeast Ohio 58% 34% 1% 7% Southwest Ohio 39% 49% - 12% SEX STRICKLAND BLACKWELL OTHERS UNDECIDED Men 49% 40% 2% 9% Women 57% 32% 2% 9% RACE STRICKLAND BLACKWELL OTHERS UNDECIDED Whites 50% 39% 2% 9% Blacks 80% 12% - 8% PARTY ID STRICKLAND BLACKWELL OTHERS UNDECIDED Democrat 87% 7% 1% 6% Republican 23% 63% 2% 12% Independent 53% 33% 3% 11% ** Fitrakis received 1% ** Peirce received 1% 4
QUESTION: If the 2006 election for Attorney General were held today, would you vote for: - Marc Dann, Democrat - Betty Montgomery, Republican MONTGOMERY 47% 51% 43% 12% 78% 46% DANN 37% 35% 39% 71% 9% 35% UNDECIDED 16% 14% 18% 17% 13% 19% QUESTION: If the 2006 election for Secretary of State were held today, would you vote for: - Jennifer Brunner, Democrat - Greg Hartmann, Republican - Tim Kettler - John Eastman BRUNNER 35% 31% 39% 67% 7% 34% HARTMANN 32% 38% 26% 5% 59% 25% KETTLER 2% 1% 3% 1% 2% 2% EASTMAN 1% 2% - - 1% 1% UNDECIDED 30% 28% 32% 27% 31% 38% QUESTION: If the 2006 election for State Treasurer were held today, would you vote for: - Richard Cordray, Democrat - Sandra O Brien, Republican CORDRAY 40% 37% 43% 73% 11% 40% O BRIEN 31% 31% 29% 6% 54% 31% UNDECIDED 29% 32% 28% 21% 35% 29% 5
QUESTION: If the 2006 election for State Auditor were held today, would you vote for: - Barbara Sykes, Democrat - Mary Taylor, Republican SYKES 38% 36% 40% 67% 12% 38% TAYLOR 33% 39% 27% 7% 58% 30% UNDECIDED 29% 25% 33% 36% 30% 32% QUESTION: Issue 2 is a Constitutional Amendment to increase the minimum wage in Ohio to $6.85 per hour. If you were voting today, would you vote: - "YES", to approve this amendment, OR - "NO", to defeat this amendment? YES 73% 66% 80% 87% 60% 74% NO 20% 28% 12% 9% 30% 19% UNDECIDED 7% 6% 8% 4% 10% 7% 6
QUESTION: Issue 3 is a Constitutional Amendment to permit up to 31,500 slot machines at seven horse racing tracks and at two Cleveland non-track locations. It would permit expanded gambling in the four Cuyahoga County locations if approved by the county s voters. It distributes the revenues so that 55% would go to slot and casino owners, 30% would go to college scholarship and grants and the balance would be divided for local governments, race track purse money and gambling addition services. If you were voting today, would you vote: - "YES", to approve this amendment, OR - "NO", to defeat this amendment? YES NO UNDECIDED STATE 36% 52% 12% REGION YES NO UNDECIDED Northeast Ohio 44% 45% 11% Northwest Ohio 27% 62% 11% Central Ohio 34% 53% 13% Southeast Ohio 35% 56% 9% Southwest Ohio 31% 56% 14% SEX YES NO UNDECIDED Men 39% 50% 11% Women 33% 54% 13% RACE YES NO UNDECIDED Whites 34% 54% 12% Blacks 57% 33% 10% PARTY ID YES NO UNDECIDED Democrat 41% 49% 10% Republican 32% 54% 14% Independent 35% 53% 12% 7
QUESTION: Issue 4 is a Constitutional Amendment that would prohibit smoking in enclosed areas except for tobacco stores, private residences or nonpublic facilities, separate smoking areas in restaurants, most bars, bingo and bowling facilities, separated areas of hotels and nursing homes, and race tracks. The amendment would invalidate retroactively any ordinance or local law in effect and would prohibit the future adoption of any ordinance or local law prohibiting smoking exempted by the amendment. If you were voting today, would you vote: - "YES", to approve this amendment, OR - "NO", to defeat this amendment? YES 45% 37% 53% 42% 47% 46% NO 40% 51% 29% 44% 41% 39% UNDECIDED 15% 12% 18% 14% 12% 15% QUESTION: Issue 5 is a voter-initiated statute to prohibit smoking in public places and places of employment. It would only exempt private residences, designated smoking areas in hotels, motels and nursing homes, retail tobacco stores, outdoor patios, private clubs and family-owned and operated places of business. If you were voting today, would you vote: - "YES", to approve this statute, OR - "NO", to defeat this statute? YES 58% 52% 64% 62% 55% 58% NO 30% 39% 21% 28% 32% 29% UNDECIDED 12% 9% 15% 10% 13% 13% 8
QUESTION: How would you rate the performance of George W. Bush as President: excellent, pretty good, only fair or poor? EXCELLENT 15% GOOD 24% FAIR 18% POOR 42% UNDECIDED 1% QUESTION: Do you approve or disapprove of President Bush s handling of the war in Iraq? APPROVE 36% DISAPPROVE 54% NOT SURE 10% QUESTION: How would you rate the performance of Bob Taft as Governor: excellent, pretty good, only fair or poor? EXCELLENT 1% GOOD 11% FAIR 27% POOR 57% UNDECIDED 4% QUESTION: How would you rate the performance of the Ohio State Legislature: excellent, pretty good, only fair or poor? EXCELLENT 1% GOOD 17% FAIR 45% POOR 23% UNDECIDED 14% 9
QUESTION: In Ohio, which political party, the Democrats or the Republicans, do you feel is better suited to deal with the issue of: DEMS REPS NEITHER/DK - the economy & jobs? 46% 32% 22% - taxes & government spending? 43% 31% 26% - education? 48% 28% 24% - honesty in government? 35% 21% 44% QUESTION: Compared to four years ago, would you say you are better off today, worse off, or are things about the same? BETTER 23% WORSE 35% SAME 41% NOT SURE 1% 10
DEMOGRAPHICS: PARTY ID: Democrat 219 (35%) Republican 251 (40%) Independent 155 (25%) AGE: 18-34 83 (13%) 35-49 183 (29%) 50-64 189 (30%) 65+ 168 (27%) Refused 2 RACE/ETHNICITY: White/Caucasian 554 (89%) Black/African American 56 (9%) Hispanic or Latino 6 (1%) Asian or Other 6 (1%) Refused 3 RELIGION: Protestant 271 (43%) Catholic 193 (31%) Jewish 11 (2%) Other 88 (14%) Non-Religious 58 (9%) DK/Refused 4 (1%) SEX: Male 301 (48%) Female 324 (52%) REGION: Northeast Ohio 235 (38%) Northwest Ohio 80 (13%) Central Ohio 95 (15%) Southeastern Ohio 65 (10%) Southwestern Ohio 150 (24%) 11