Washington Post Maryland Elections Poll, June 2006

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This special topic poll, fielded June 19-25, 2006, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the current presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. This poll surveyed 1,127 Maryland residents, including an oversample of Black respondents, on the upcoming primary and general elections in their state. Residents were asked whether they approved of the way President George W. Bush was handling the presidency, their level of interest in the upcoming elections in Maryland, and whether they were registered to vote. Registered voters were polled on the likelihood that they would vote in the Democratic primary and general election in Maryland, and for whom they would vote in the gubernatorial and senatorial races. Views were sought on how things were going in the state of Maryland, the city of Baltimore, and Montgomery County, and the problems facing the state of Maryland and the respondents' own community. Respondents gave their opinions of Governor Bob Ehrlich and First Lady Kendel Ehrlich, the governor's handling of his job and issues such as the protection of Chesapeake Bay, and the influence of various groups on his administration. Opinions were also elicited on Lt. Governor Michael Steele, former Governor William Donald Schaefer, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan, Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Ben Cardin and Kweisi Mfume, and the Democratic and Republican parties in Maryland. Additional topics addressed the war in Iraq, slot-machine gambling, gay marriage, abortion, the state legislature's decision to force Wal-Mart to spend more on employee health benefits, and the effect of immigration on the respondent's community. Information was also collected on respondents' county of residence, and which local television news station they watched. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, household income, marital status, education level, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), presence of children in the household, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status, religious preference, frequency of religious attendance, and whether respondents considered themselves born-again or evangelical Christians.