Printer-friendly version Reader Comments

Mainers are fuzzy on 1st District House hopefuls, and school consolidation gets low marks.

The Associated Press November 3, 2007

Sen. Susan Collins held a 20-point lead over Rep. Tom Allen in the 2008 U.S. Senate race, while candidates vying for Allen's congressional seat showed little success in distinguishing themselves in the minds of voters, according to a poll released Friday.

The Critical Insights poll, which touched on a range of topics of interest to business, government and the general public, found 54 percent support for Republican Collins and 34 percent for Democrat Allen. Twelve percent were either undecided, didn't know or refused to say.

The statewide survey was based on 408 telephone interviews with likely voters from Oct. 12 to Oct. 30. Its margin of error was 5 percentage points.

In the crowded race in the 1st Congressional District, none of the candidates was recognizable by more than 4 percent of those polled. When asked to name any candidates running for Allen's seat, 89 percent of district residents surveyed couldn't.

Democrats Chellie Pingree and Ethan Strimling were the ones most frequently identified, but only by 4 percent of respondents.

For the first time in two years, the poll found that Gov. John Baldacci's disapproval rating exceeded his approval rating, 47 percent to 44 percent.

Baldacci's signature issue, school consolidation, got low marks, with 39 percent opposing his plan, 31 percent supporting it, 25 percent neutral and 5 percent undecided.

Taxation emerged as the public's No. 1 concern, but its identification as such by 18 percent.

Other issues cited this year as key concerns included unemployment, 17 percent; the economy, 16 percent; health care, 15 percent; and education, 9 percent.

In terms of the economy, 61 percent said it was in worse shape than a year ago, 33 percent found it about the same and 6 percent said it had improved.