Poll: Spitzer Has Big Lead Over Pataki in 2006 Race
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ALBANY – One day after announcing he was running for governor, a statewide poll released yesterday showed Democrat Eliot Spitzer with a double-digit lead over Republican Governor Pataki.
Mr. Spitzer did not fare as well in the poll in a much more hypothetical race for governor – one against Secretary of State Powell.
The poll was conducted even before the state attorney general made the announcement Tuesday that he would run for governor in 2006, a move that generally gives a candidate at least a temporary boost in the polls.
The poll, from the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, had Mr. Spitzer leading Mr. Pataki, 50% to 38%. An April poll from the Hamden, Conn.-based institute had Mr. Spitzer only slightly ahead of Mr. Pataki, 47% to 42%.
Mr. Pataki has not yet said if he will seek a fourth, four-year term.
Mr. Spitzer fares less well against Mr. Powell. In such a matchup, Mr. Powell is favored by 47% of voters to 42% for Mr. Spitzer.
While Mr. Powell’s name has been mentioned by newly elected state GOP Chairman Stephen Minarik as a potential candidate for governor, the former general, who grew up in the Bronx and is leaving the State Department soon, has not commented on such speculation.
There has also been speculation that Mr. Pataki might seek to challenge Senator Clinton’s re-election bid in 2006 instead of running again for governor, but the Quinnipiac poll showed that could be an equally tough race for him.
In the poll, Mrs. Clinton led Mr. Pataki, 58% to 36%, among New York voters.
Mrs. Clinton held a slight lead over Mr. Powell, 49% to 44%, in another hypothetical Senate race.