Polls

Coloradans support gay marriage

| Tom Jensen

Header-poll-results
Raleigh, N.C. –
A majority of Coloradans support legalizing gay marriage, and only 22% feel there should be no legal recognition at all of same sex couples, a new poll from Public Policy Polling finds. 53% of Colorado voters say same sex marriage should be legal and 40% say it should be illegal. Voters also say they would support the Colorado legislature passing a bill that would let same-sex couples form civil unions by a 62-32 margin. When asked whether they support gay marriage, civil unions but not gay marriage, or no legal recognition at all of same sex couples, 47% choose legal gay marriage, 28% say civil unions and just 22% say there should be no legal recognition whatsoever of gay couples.

“Colorado is another in a growing number of states where polls show voters are rapidly shifting towards supporting legal gay marriage,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling.

Colorado Senators Michael Bennet and Mark Udall both sport middling job approval ratings, with Bennet finding the approval of just 33% of voters and 38% disapproving. Udall does better but is still well below 50% at 40%-37%.  Governor John Hickenlooper shows much better with a 57% job approval rating and just 24% disapproval. Nonethless, voters are strongly disinclined to want him to run for President in 2016 – just 23% support the idea with 55% opposing.

Democrats look to be in position to perhaps make gains in the Colorado legislature this fall, with voters saying they would vote Democratic over Republican 47-40.

Colorado voters are closely split on the Affordable Care Act, with 40% of voters saying the Supeme Court should rule the centerpiece of Obama’s first term constitutional and 42% saying it should be found unconstitutional.

Some Democrats who say Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler is trying to restrict certain voters access to ballots have floated the idea of a possible recall, but the idea hasn’t yet broken through, with 20% supporting a recall, 22% opposed and 58% not sure.

PPP surveyed 542 Colorado voters from April 5th to 7th. The margin of error for the survey is +/-4.2%.  This poll was not paid for or authorized by any campaign or political organization. PPP surveys are conducted through automated telephone interviews.

Topline results are below.  Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.

Q1 Do you approve or disapprove of Governor
John Hickenlooper’s job performance?
Approve…………….. 57%
Disapprove………… 24%
Not sure ……………. 19%

Q2 Would you like to see John Hickenlooper run
for President in 2016, or not?
Would like
Hickenlooper to
run…………………….23%
Would not like him
to ………………………55%
Not sure ……………. 22%

Q3 Do you approve or disapprove of Senator Mark
Udall’s job performance?
Approve …………….. .40%
Disapprove…………. .37%
Not sure …………….. .23%

Q4 Do you approve or disapprove of Senator
Michael Bennet’s job performance?
Approve …………….. .33%
Disapprove…………. .38%
Not sure …………….. .28%

Q5 If there was an election for the state legislature
today, would you vote Democratic or
Republican?
Democratic…………. .47%
Republican…………. .40%
Undecided………….. .14%

Q6 Would you support or oppose the Colorado
legislature passing a bill that would let samesex
couples form civil unions?
Support ……………… .62%
Oppose ……………… .32%
Not sure …………….. . 6%

Q7 Do you think same-sex marriage should be
legal or illegal?
Legal …………………. .53%
Illegal ………………… .40%
Not sure …………….. . 7%

Q8 Which of the following best describes your
opinion on gay marriage: gay couples should
be allowed to legally marry, or gay couples
should be allowed to form civil unions but not
legally marry, or there should be no legal
recognition of a gay couple’s relationship?
Gay couples should
be allowed to legally
marry…………………..47%
Gay couples should
be allowed to form
civil unions but not
marry…………………..28%
There should be no
legal recognition of
a gay couple’s
relationship ………….22%
Not sure …………….. . 2%

Q9 Do you think that the Supreme Court should
rule the Affordable Care Act to be constitutional
or unconstitutional?
Constitutional ……… .40%
Unconstitutional ….. .42%
Not sure …………….. .18%

Q10 Would you support or oppose recalling
Secretary of State Scott Gessler from office?
Support ……………… .20%
Oppose ……………… .22%
Not sure …………….. .58%

Q11 Who did you vote for President in 2008?
John McCain…………………………………………… 43%
Barack Obama………………………………………… 51%
Someone else/Don’t remember …………………. 6%

Q12 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 13%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 22%
Moderate………………………………………………… 28%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 23%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 13%

Q13 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 51%
Man……………………………………………………….. 49%

Q14 If you are a Democrat, press 1. If a Republican,
press 2. If you are an independent or identify
with another party, press 3.
Democrat ……………………………………………….. 36%
Republican……………………………………………… 35%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 30%

Q15 If you are Hispanic, press 1. If white, press 2.
If other, press 3.
Hispanic…………………………………………………. 14%
White …………………………………………………….. 79%
Other……………………………………………………… 7%

Q16 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1. If 30 to
45, press 2. If 46 to 65, press 3. If you are
older than 65, press 4.
18 to 29………………………………………………….. 14%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 30%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 36%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 20%

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