Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 2, 1994 TAG: 9402020185
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From staff reports
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The poll shows North trailing incumbent Sen. Charles Robb by 49 percent to 32 percent, even though nearly three-quarters of the respondents said they would vote against the Democrat or at least consider it.
The Iran-Contra figure's support among Republican activists has dropped from 61 percent in May to 41 percent. Among all voters, he is viewed unfavorably by 47 percent and favorably by 33 percent.
The statewide poll was conducted last week by Mason-Dixon Political/Media Research. Some of its findings were announced Wednesday night on WDBJ-TV in Roanoke and by other Virginia news organizations.
It has been a difficult week for North. Last Wednesday, the day before North announced his candidacy, Republican U.S. Sen. John Warner said North was unfit to serve in the Senate. He painted North as a criminal who lied to Congress about the Iran-Contra scandal and had his felony convictions reversed on a technicality.
Tuesday, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said she is alarmed by North's candidacy. At a lecture at the National Archives in Washington, she said she would be offended if he were elected to a body he "hates" and "despises" and to which he told "lie after lie after lie."
A North spokesman dismissed the poll numbers and noted that Robb, the man North expects to face in the November election, is viewed negatively by a substantial part of the electorate as well. The poll showed that Robb is viewed favorably by 41 percent and unfavorably by 36 percent.
Mason-Dixon surveyed 807 registered voters. The poll has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.
Some information in this report came from The Associated Press.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB