Poll Shows Voters Favor Candidates that Support Bold Agenda for Working People
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Denver, CO A new poll released by Strategies 360 today, shows that despite a growing economy and a low unemployment rate, 49 percent of general election voters and 44 percent of Democratic primary voters in Colorado face economic uncertainty or hardship. Majorities within key electoral groups are economically struggling including women, voters of color, the white working class, and independents.
The survey of 500 likely 2018 general election voters (GEVs) and 387 likely Democratic primary voters (DPVs) indicates that candidates will have to address the economic issues important to working families in both the Democratic primary and the general election.
The poll currently shows Congressman Jared Polis leading Cary Kennedy in the Democratic primary with 34 percent of the vote compared with her 23 percent. Polis’ lead in the Democratic contest is driven by a wide margin among the financially comfortable. Among the economically struggling, the democratic primary race is evenly split, and a third are still undecided.
In a general election match-up with State Treasurer Walker Stapleton, Polis and Kennedy are both favored to win by 5 points. While Democrats lead among those who are financially comfortable, among the half of Coloradans who are economically struggling, preferences are evenly divided with many still undecided.
This poll also indicates that when presented with four pro-worker positions, at least 60 percent of DPVs say they’d be more likely to vote for a candidate who embraced each policy. Among economically struggling DPVs, a group which is still in search of their preferred candidate, this agenda resonates broadly. There is no evidence that embracing a pro-worker agenda, including pro-union positions, would harm a candidate’s standing in November. In fact, among the key bloc of economically struggling voters, such positions have a clear, net-positive impact.
This poll was commissioned by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Colorado Small Donor Committee. They have not endorsed a candidate in the Democratic primary or the general election. The margin of error for the GEVs sample is 4.4 percent and the DPVs sample is 5.0 percent.
Issue questions were derived from SEIU Local 105’s Working People’s Platform. The Working People’s Platform consists of seven priorities that reflect the values and the everyday struggles of working people in Colorado and our nation. The platform contains policies that support the development of an economy and a democracy that works for all Colorado families.
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