Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 13, 1994 TAG: 9407150030
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B! EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By WARREN FISKE STAFF WRITER|
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The survey of 836 registered state voters showed Robb with 29 percent of the vote; Republican Oliver North, 23 percent; independent Marshall Coleman, 22 percent; and independent Douglas Wilder, 17 percent.
The poll was conducted for the Roanoke Times & World-News and WDBJ (Channel 7) Friday through Monday by Mason-Dixon Political/Media Research Inc. of Columbia, Md. A survey by the company last month found all four candidates in a dead heat.
Brad Coker, president of Mason-Dixon, attributed Robb's slight surge to a successful television advertising blitz by the candidate last month and publicity from his victory in the June 14 Democratic primary election.
For the first time in two years, more voters said they liked Robb than disliked him. Thirty-seven percent said they view the senator favorably, while 30 percent expressed unfavorable opinions.
Last month, 32 percent viewed Robb positively and 39 percent negatively.
North continues to be dogged by highly unfavorable ratings, although the poll suggests he, too, was helped by television commercials last month designed to enhance his public image.
Thirty percent said they have a favorable opinion of North while 47 percent expressed unfavorable views. Last month, North's negatives outweighed his positives 53 to 27 percent.
Support for Coleman, a former state attorney general who has been under steady attack from North for abandoning the Republican Party, dropped from 25 percent to 22 percent over the past month. During the same time span, Coleman's unfavorable ratings almost doubled - from 12 to 21 percent.
Wilder, a former Democratic governor who has had the least visibility over the last month, saw his support drop from 22 to 17 percent. His popularity ratings - 29 percent positive, 38 percent negative - remain virtually unchanged.
Wilder continues to run strong with blacks, although his support slipped from 71 percent to 64 percent over the past month. During the same time, Robb's backing from blacks increased from 14 to 19 percent.
The poll shows Robb is running the strongest in suburban Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, and in rural Southwest Virginia. Coleman is strongest in the traditionally conservative Shenandoah Valley. Wilder leads in the Richmond area, his home base. "North has no pocket of strength, but runs steadily throughout the state," Coker said.
Asked to identify the most important issue in the race, 17 percent said the economy, 15 percent said the character of the candidates, 14 percent said crime and 11 percent chose education.
The poll has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. That means, for example, that Robb's actual support could range from 25.5 percent to 32.5 percent.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB