Politics & Government

Malloy Trailing Foley in Latest Political Poll

The newest Quinnipiac University poll gives former GOP gubernatorial hopeful Tom Foley a slight lead.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is trailing his former Republican rival, Greenwich millionaire Tom Foley, in the latest political poll of likely voters from Quinnipiac University.

“In a 2014 rematch of the 2010 Connecticut governor's race, Republican challenger Tom Foley gets 43 percent to 40 percent for Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy,” the Quinnipiac poll states. Malloy, the poll released Wednesday found, also is “stuck in the mid-40s in other key measures,” including: 
  • Voters are split 46 - 44 percent favorable/unfavorable opinion of him
  • Voters split 47 - 47 percent for Malloy's job approval rating
  • Just 44 percent of voters say Malloy deserves re-election
Foley lost to Malloy in 2010 by one of the narrowest margins in Connecticut gubernatorial elections and the Republican is widely expected to seek a rematch with Malloy next year. 

"Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy gets a lukewarm job approval rating with as many approving as disapproving," said Douglas Schwartz, director of the Quinnipiac University poll. "Since he has been governor, he has struggled with tepid job approval ratings, never rising above 50 percent. So it is not surprising that in our first poll on the 2014 gubernatorial election, 'Mid-40s Malloy' runs neck and neck with his 2010 opponent, Tom Foley. Foley gave him a run for his money in 2010, losing by less than one percentage point.

"On the plus side for Malloy,” Schwartz added, “Connecticut voters say 57-38 percent he has strong leadership qualities, no doubt due to his response to various crises in the state from Hurricane Sandy to the Newtown shootings." 

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