Lincoln Chafee - Independent Candidate for Rhode Island Governor

Poll says Chafee leads in gov race

February 23, 2010

By Katherine Gregg

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- General Treasurer Democrat Frank Caprio appears to be leading the state's attorney general, Patrick C. Lynch, among Democratic gubernatorial primary voters.

But at a time when Rhode Island voters seem to have very little confidence in the major political parties, former U.S. Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee, running as an independent for governor, could beat either one of them, according to the latest Brown University poll.

If the primary were held today, the poll indicates that Caprio would beat Lynch 30.6 percent to 21.8 percent, with a very large number of voters -- 47.5 percent -- still undecided.

In questions about the November general election, the trend pinpointed by a series of independent polls continues.

If he were matched up against Caprio and Republican John Robitaille, who until recently was Governor Carcieri's communications director, Chafee would lead 33.8 percent, to 28.3 percent for Caprio, 12.1 percent for Robitaille and 25.8 percent undecided.

If Lynch emerged as the Democratic primary victor, Chafee would lead by a wider margin with 32.9 percent of the potential vote, to 17.7 percent for Lynch and 13.7 percent for Robitaille.

"I think the poll shows that Chafee is a trusted name and the voters of Rhode Island realize that he has the courage and conviction to address the issues that are currently plaguing our state," said John "JR" Pagliarini, Chafee's campaign manager. "The voters also know that Senator Chafee is incorruptible and will demand the highest ethical standards in state government. "

A spokesman for Caprio said: "The Brown poll's numbers confirm the campaign's internal research showing that Frank Caprio maintains a sizable lead over his primary opponent, and is strongly positioned for a general election. The poll shows Caprio with the best approval rating of any state official, and the lowest negatives, which we believe positions him well to reach the large number of voters who have yet to form an opinion on Caprio (25.6%) or how they'll vote in the general election if Caprio is a candidate (25.8%)."

The poll did not evaluate the impact on the race of Moderate Party newcomer Ken Block, who officially announced his candidacy for governor on Sunday.

The poll of an overall 605 registered voters between Feb. 9-12 has a margin for error of plus or minus 3.9 percent. But the margin for error in the primary poll was not stated in the initial release.

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Linc Chafee is a tested leader of unquestioned integrity and a strong independent voice. As Governor, he will work hard to create new jobs, rebuild our economy, solve our chronic budget problems, end corruption, and forge a new way forward for Rhode Island.