Poll shows New Hampshire voters believe country headed in wrong direction
Analysts say results may spell trouble for incumbents
Analysts say results may spell trouble for incumbents
Analysts say results may spell trouble for incumbents
A new poll from the St. Anselm College Survey Center shows a significant number of New Hampshire residents believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.
The poll shows that dissatisfaction is dragging down incumbents who will be on the ballot in November.
According to the poll, 74% of New Hampshire registered voters believe the country is on the wrong track.
"That means that incumbents in the highest offices in New Hampshire, four of which are Democrats, have seen their numbers decline," said Neil Levesque, of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics.
The survey of 1,215 New Hampshire registered voters was conducted on Jan. 11 and 12 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.8%.
The three Democrats up for reelection are all underwater in their approval ratings. The poll shows that 44% approve of how U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan is doing her job, compared to 50% who disapprove and 6% with no opinion.
Among 1st Congressional District voters, 43% approve of how U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas is doing his job, compared to 46% who disapprove and 11% with no opinion. The 1st District question has a margin of sampling error of 3.9%.
The poll shows 40% approve of how 2nd District U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster is doing her job, compared to 48% who disapprove and 12% with no opinion. The 2nd District question has a margin of sampling error of 4.1%.
"It's going to be a tough road ahead for incumbents at any level," Levesque said.
While it's early in the race, the poll shows Hassan leading her potential challengers. Against retired Army Gen. Don Bolduc, Hassan leads 43-36%. Against state Senate President Chuck Morse, Hassan leads 41-27%. Against former Londonderry Town Manager Kevin Smith, Hassan leads 42-24%.
Name recognition may be a concern right now for the Republican challengers. Bolduc, who has run for U.S. Senate before, has the highest favorability, with 26% holding a favorable opinion of him. But 53% say they have no opinion or have never heard of him.
For Morse, 12% hold a favorable opinion, while 70% have no opinion or have never heard of him. For Smith, just 8% hold a favorable opinion, while 83% have no opinion or have never heard of him.
The poll shows that 55% approve of how Gov. Chris Sununu is doing his job, with 43% disapproving and only 1% with no opinion. But just 45% said Sununu deserves reelection, with another 45% saying they want someone new and 10% saying they’re unsure.
"Again that 74% of people who believe the country is on the wrong track is a very toxic number for anyone on the ballot," Levesque said.
The poll shows a potentially favorable response to the Freedom to Vote Act. Asked if they would be more or less likely to support an elected official who backs a bill to make voting more accessible, transparent and uniform by increasing federal authority and oversight of how states conduct elections, 48% said they'd be more likely to vote for that elected official, 44% said they'd be less likely to vote for them, and 8% were unsure.