Governor Mary Fallin's Poll Numbers
August 28, 2012NewsOK.com
By Chris Casteel
A few hours before Gov. Mary Falin speaks at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, a Republican polling firm in Oklahoma City reports that she has a favorable rating in Oklahoma of 65 percent and is popular among numerous different segments.
The poll, taken earlier this month by Cole, Hargrave, Snodgrass and Associates, shows Fallin is viewed favorably by:
65 percent of all polled;
66 percent of men; 62 percent of women;
52 percent of Democrats (33 percent of Democrats view her unfavorably).
The poll of 500 registered voters had a margin error of plus or minus 4.3 percent.
Fallin won her first term as governor in a landslide in 2010, garnering 60 percent of the vote over Democrat Jari Askins.
Governor Mary Fallin has found a sweet-spot in Oklahoma politics that at times has been difficult to navigate for Republicans (recall her congressional predecessor for one). Fallin has tremendous numbers among those who consider themselves to be Tea Party supporters (85% favorable vs. 12% unfavorable) while still having broad appeal to the 28% of the voters in the state who say they are “neutral” toward the Tea Party (67% favorable vs. 13% unfavorable).
In addition, urbanites (the traditional strength of Republicans in the state) give her high marks (63% favorable vs. 21% unfavorable) and this is equaled by the historically Democrat-leaning rural denizens (66% favorable vs. 23% unfavorable).
In the rural southeast area – a place that politically has deserved the label of “Little Dixie” – Fallin has exceptional numbers for a Republican (61% favorable vs. 28% unfavorable).
Not only does Fallin sport a three-to-one favorable to unfavorable ratio (65% favorable vs. 22% unfavorable) in the Sooner State, but she appeals to women (62% favorable vs. (story continued on page 2) 21% unfavorable) almost as well as she does among men (66% favorable vs. 22% unfavorable).
Among ALL registered Democrats, Fallin is viewed favorably by more than half (52%) while only a third have an unfavorable impression (33%) of Oklahoma’s fourth Republican governor.
While nationally, we may see class envy campaigns, in Oklahoma, Mary Fallin helps inoculate against that. While she has good numbers among those households earning more than $100,000 a year (64% favorable vs. 24% unfavorable), she has almost identical numbers among those residing in households with incomes less than $40,000 (63% favorable vs. 21% unfavorable).
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