Raleigh, N.C. – Arizona’s governor is holding her ground in voters’ eyes, breaking even on the job approval front, as she did when PPP last polled the state in late January. But voters have soured on both of their senators, as one has announced his impending retirement and the other forges into his new and perhaps final term.
46% approve of Jan Brewer’s job performance, and 45% approve. The figure was an almost identical 47-45 in the previous poll. Brewer has vetoed a few pieces of Republican-backed legislation of late, but while most voters (45%) think her views “about right,” almost as many (40%) think her too conservative for their tastes. A 47% plurality of independents feel that way.
Both Jon Kyl and John McCain have declined by 10 or 11 points on the margin, the former from a positive 47-40 to a negative 42-46 following his revelation that this will be his final term representing the state. This knocks Kyl down 27 pegs, from average to well below, among the senators on which PPP has polled.
Kyl has endured some bad press recently in relation to comments he made about Planned Parenthood. Most voters in the state disagree with him on the issue of stripping federal funding from that organization. Only 35% support defunding, compared to 51% who are opposed to that action. Kyl’s numbers have slipped in particular with Democrats and independents, both of which are voting groups strongly opposed to the effort to target Planned Parenthood
McCain, already unpopular, has slid further from 40-49 to 34-53. That makes him the third least liked sitting senator among their constituents, in front of only the retiring John Ensign and Joe Lieberman. He has improved considerably with the GOP after a bruising primary battle last summer and his White House loss, but he is in the basement with everyone else.
PPP surveyed 623 Arizona voters from April 28th to May 1st. The margin of error for the survey is +/-3.9%. This poll was not paid for or authorized by any campaign or political organization. PPP surveys are conducted through automated telephone interviews. PPP is a Democratic polling company, but polling expert Nate Silver of the New York Times found that its surveys in 2010 actually exhibited a slight bias toward Republican candidates.
Topline results are below. Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.
Q1 Do you approve or disapprove of Governor Jan
Brewer’s job performance?
Approve…………….. 46%
Disapprove………… 45%
Not sure ……………. 9%
Q2 Do you think Jan Brewer is too liberal, too
conservative, or about right?
Too liberal………….. 10%
Too conservative … 40%
About right…………. 45%
Not sure ……………. 5%
Q3 Do you approve or disapprove of Senator John
McCain’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 34%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 53%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%
Q4 Do you approve or disapprove of Senator Jon
Kyl’s job performance?
Approve ……………… 42%
Disapprove………….. 46%
Not sure ………………13%
Q5 Do you think that Arizona should adopt an
official state gun or not?
Arizona should have an official state gun…….. 20%
Should not………………………………………………. 60%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 20%
Q6 Do you support or oppose barring all federal
funding for Planned Parenthood?
Support ………………………………………………….. 35%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 51%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%
Q7 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Joe Arpaio?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 49%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 42%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 9%
Q8 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 7%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 17%
Moderate………………………………………………… 33%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 25%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 17%
Q9 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 51%
Man……………………………………………………….. 49%
Q10 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 ……………………………………………….. 34%
Republican……………………………………………… 43%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 23%
Q11 If you are Hispanic, press 1. If white, press 2.
If other, press 3.
Hispanic…………………………………………………. 14%
White …………………………………………………….. 79%
Other……………………………………………………… 7%
Q12 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………………………………………………….. 10%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 24%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 40%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 26%
