Kitzhaber, Merkely, Pot Lead in Latest KATU Poll

Friday, October 31, 2014

Taya Alami, GoLocalPDX Reporter

U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkely

U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkely, Governor John Kitzhaber and the recreational marijuana ballot measure were holding the lead with voters according to a recent poll released by KATU Thursday.

Out of the 552 likely voters who took part in the phone survey conducted by SurveyUSA, 50 percent supported Sen. Merkely while 32 percent said they supported Republican challenger Monica Wehby.

Kitzhaber led by 10 points over Republican challenger, state representative Dennis Richardson, in the race for governor - 50 percent of respondents said they support the governor while 40 percent said they support Richardson.

Some 52 percent of respondents said they support Measure 91, which would tax and regulate cannabis for recreational use, while 41 percent said they don't and 7 percent were undecided.

More details on the poll at KATU.

Related Slideshow: The Eight Political Types

What political type are you? The Pew Research Center says most Americans fall into eight groups. Can you find your match?

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Steadfast Conservatives

Republicans who regularly attend religious services (55 percent attend at least weekly) and are very politically engaged. Steadfast Conservatives are mostly male (59 percent), non-Hispanic white (87 percent), and hold very negative thoughts towards immigrants/immigration.

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Business Conservatives

If you are an individualist who invests in the stock market and believes the government is doing a bad job, then you might be a Business Conservative. Unlike Steadfast Conservatives, Business Conservatives believe that immigrants strengthen the country. Most Business Conservatives live in suburbs with 45 percent earning $75,000 a year or more.

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Solid Liberals

Educated liberals who are optimistic about the nation’s future and who continually support President Obama (with 84 percent approving his job performance) and, you guessed it, faithfully vote Democrat. Unlike Business Conservatives who prefer the suburbs, 45 percent of Solid Liberals prefer to live in a city.

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Young Outsiders

Are you a person that dislikes both Republicans and Democrats? Young Outsiders may lean towards the Republican Party, but heavily support the environment and liberal social policies, unlike their conservative counterparts. Also they are one of the youngest typology groups, with 30 percent under the age of 30. Young Outsiders are 73 percent non-Hispanic whites who think "poor people today have it easy because they can get government benefits without doing anything in return."

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Hard-Pressed Skeptics

Like Young Outsiders, Hard-Pressed Skeptics doubt Democrats and Republicans, but lean towards the Democratic Party view, although fewer than half approve of Obama’s job performance. Difficult financial circumstances have left Hard-Pressed Skeptics to believe that “the poor have hard lives because government benefits don’t go far enough to help them live decently.”

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Next Generation Left

You might just be a Next Generation Left if you're liberal on social issues: abortion, same-sex marriage and affirmative action. However, Next Generation Leftists deny the belief that racial discrimination is a barrier to success for racial minorities.

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Faith and Family Left

This group is highly diverse with 30 percent African-American and 18 percent foreign born. Faith and Family Left want a greater government role in programs such as aid for the poor. However, they are conservative when it comes to social issues, like opposing same sex marriage and legalizing marijuana, probably because the majority put religion and family first.

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Bystanders

If you keep saying “I don’t get it, I don’t see myself as any of the types,” you might just be a Bystander, which means you're the person on the sidelines. You're more interested in celebrities like Jay-Z and Beyonce (are they really getting a divorce?) than government and politics. Noteworthy that Bystanders don't registered to vote, but do love the outdoors. Some 66 percent of bystanders consider themselves an “outdoor person.”

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