State Poll Analysis
Alabama
CBS CALLS:
Governor: Don Siegelman (D)
Siegelman drew strong support from the following groups of voters:
-57% of women
-94% of African-Americans
-53% and higher of those under age 60
-67% of moderates
Support for the state lottery to help fund college education, a central issue in the state, had a strong influence on the election.
-Overall, 54% say they favor the lottery, and Siegelman drew support from 87% of them.
Alabama voters said their votes were not an expression of their views for or against President Clinton. In exit polls, 55% say President Clinton was just not a factor in how they voted.
But Alabamans were sharply divided about the way the Clinton has handled his job as president.
· 19% of Alabama voters say their reason for voting today was to express support for President Clinton.
· 22% say their reason for voting today was to express opposition to President Clinton.
Still, 51% disapprove of the way Clinton is handling his job as President. And, 47% believe he should resign from office. Almost the same percentage, 46%, do not feel the president should resign.
Yet on the matter of formal impeachment, a 53% majority of Alabama voters today say do not believe Congress should impeach the pPresident.
Alabama voters are split in their views about how good a job the Congress is doing:
In exit polls, 49% said they disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job, while 45% said they approve of the way Congress is doing its job.
Alaska
(No exit polls conducted in the state.)
Arizona
CBS CALLS:
Senate: John McCain (Rep, incumbent)
Governor: James Hull (Rep, incumbent)
Clinton Support:
Clinton enjoys support among voters in Arizona:
-55% do not believe Clinton should resign
-62% do not believe Congress should impeach Clinton
-53% do not believe Congress should censure Clinton
McCain drew support from virtually all voter groups with the exception of Democrats, of whom 58% voted for Ranger.
-Still, 41% of Democrats say they voted for McCain, as did 40% of liberals
In the race for Governor, Hull drew only 39% of the Hispanic vote, while 58% of Hispanics voted for Johnson. McCain, in contrast, drew 52% of the Hispanic vote.
Other groups supporting Hull included:
-55% of moderates and 31% of liberals
-84% of Republicans, 34% of Democrats, and 59% of independent voters
Arkansas
Six in ten (61%) Arkansas voters disapprove of the way Congress is handling its jobs.
Six in ten Arkansas voters reject both impeachment and resignation.
64% of Arkansas voters say that Congress should not impeach the president and remove him from office
60% say that the president should not resign
A majority of Arkansas voters say that Bill Clinton played no part in their vote for Congress today.
53% say Bill Clinton was not a factor in their vote for Congrss today.
24% say that one reason for their vote for Congress was to express support for Bill Clinton while 19% say it was to express oppostion to the president.
California
CBS CALLS
Senate: Barbara Boxer (Dem, incumbent)
Governor: Gray Davis (Dem, party turnover)
Barbara Boxer drew strong support from the following voter groups:
--57% of women.
--63% of voters 18 to 29 years of age.
--65% of those who said education was the issue that mattered most to them in the Senate race.
--80% of Jewish voters.
Overall, education and abortion were the two top issues that mattered most in the Senate race to California voters:
--18% say education mattered most and Barbara Boxer drew 85% of their votes
--15% say abortion mattered most and Boxer drew 52% of their votes
Gray Davis drew strong support from the following voter groups:
--Both male (52%) and female (58%) voters
--83% of African-Americans
--77% of Hispanics
--58% of voters under the age of 45
Overall, education and the economy were the two top issues that matter most to voters in the gubernatorial race:
--72% of those who said education was the issue that mattered most to them in the gubernatorial race
--60% of those who said the economy and jobs were the issues that mattered most to them in this race
Colorado
CBS is projecting Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Rep) the winner in the Colorado Senate race.
-Among women, Campbell received 59% of the vote compared to 39% for Lamm.
-Among moderates, Campbell received 62% of the votes compared with 37% for Lamm.
When asked which of seven issues was most important in the Senate election education ranked number one at 20% followed by taxes (16%), abortion and the environment (both at 12%), health care and Social Security (both at 8%), and Clinton/Lewinsky at 7%.
-Campbell did somewhat better than Lamm among those concerned about education and much better than Lamm among those concerned about taxes.
-Among those concerned about education, Campbell received 53% of the vote compared with 45% for Lamm.
-Among those concerned about taxes, Campbell receieved 92% of the vote compared with just 7% for Lamm.
Connecticut
As of 5:30 PM
In Connecticut, the vast majority of voters today, 60%, say President Clinton was not a factor in how they voted.
Only 18% say their votes today were meant to express opposition to the President, and only 19% say their votes were in support of the President.
A total 59% say they approve of the way Clinton is handling his job as President.
As of 5:30 PM
Most Connecticut voters say they disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job, and even more express opposition to impeachment of the President.
· 55% of voters in Connecticut today say they disapprove of the way Congress is doing its job.
· 69% do not believe Congress should impeach Bill Clinton, although 48% do support ongressional censure of the President. 44% oppose censure.
· Regardless of what action Congress takes with regard to the President, the majority of Connecticut voters today, 58%, say they do not believe Clinton should resign.
Delaware
(No exit polls conducted in the state.)
Florida
Most Florida voters disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job, though most approve of the way Bill Clinton is handling his job as president.
52% disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job, while 41% approve.
53% approve of the way Bill Clinton is handling his job as President, while 43% disapprove.
A slight majority of Florida voters say that Bill Clinton had no impact on their vote for Congress today, while those that said it had an effect were evenly divided in the message they intended to send.
52% said that Clinton was not a factor in their vote for Congress today; 23% said their vote was meant to express support for the president; 23% said their vote for Congress was meant to express opposition to the president.
Georgia
CBS is projecting Paul Coverdale (REP) the winner in the Georgia Senate race.
Coverdale did better among men, whites and voters 65 and older.
Among women Coverdale garnered 51% of the vote compared with 44% for Coles.
Among whites, Coverdale received 66% of the vote compared with 30% for Coles.
Among those 65 and older, Coverdale received 58% of the vote compared with 39% of the vote for Coles.
On the number one issue in the Senate race in Georgia, taxes, Coverdale received 70% of the votes compared to just 20% for Coles.
CBS is projecting Roy Barnes (D) will win the election for Governor.
Barnes did particularly well among women and black voters.
Among women, Barnes garnered 57% of the vote compared to 40% for Milner. Among blacks, Barnes took 90% of the vote compared to 8% for Milner.
Interestingly, Barnes also did well among young voters (those 18 to 29 years of age), garnering 60% of the vote.
While Milner did slightly better among those voters concerned about ethical and moral standards, the number one issue in the governor race, Barnes did substantially better among those concerned about education, the economy, and jobs.
Among those concerned about ethical and moral standards, Barnes received 42% of the vote and Milner 49% of the vote.
Among those concerned about education, Barnes received 69% compared with 27% for Milner.
Among those concerned about the economy and jobs, Barnes received 63% of the vote compared to 36% for Milner.
Hawaii
(No exit polls conducted in the state.)
Idaho
CBS CALLS:
Senate: Mike Crapo (Rep, incumbent)
Gov: Dirk Hempthorne (Rep, incumbent)
The Republican stronghold in Idaho is evident in strong disapproval ratings for President Clinton:
--60% say they disapprove of the way Clinton is handling his jb as president.
--54% believe the President should resign, although a slim 51% majority do not believe Congress should impeach the president. An additional 49% of Idaho voters do support censure of the president, while 41% are opposed to such action.
Illinois
In Illinois, most voters -- 52 percent -- say they disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job.
They do, however, approve of the way President Clinton is handling his job, if not his personal life. A 59% majority approve of the way Clinton is handling his job as president. But fully 58% say they hold an unfavorable view of Clinton as a person.
Illinois voters spoke out on impeachment in exit polls today. A total 65% of Illinois voters polled by Voter News Service say they do not believe Congress should impeach Clinton.
Regardless of what Illinois voters feel about the president or Congress, they say their votes today were not about either. In fact, the race for U.S. Senate seems to have played a major role in shaping the issues of concern for Illinois voters:
A total 57% say Clinton was not a factor in how they voted today, while 21% say their votes were to express support for President Clinton, and 20% say their votes were to express opposition to the president.
What issues were important to Illinois voters? Nearly one-quarter -- 23% -- named "ethical standards" as the one issue that mattered most to them. 19% say Social Security mattered most. 13% said education, and 10% said abortion.
Notably, only 5% of Illinois voters said the Clinton/Lewinsky matter was the issue of greatest importance to them this election day.
Indiana
A majority of Indiana voters say their vote for Congress today was not an expression of support for or against President Clinton.
-56% of Indiana voters say President Clinton was not a factor in the way they voted for Congress.
-16% said their vote for Congress was an expresion of support for Clinton.
-27% said their vote for Congress was an expression of opposition to Clinton.
Nonetheless, 55% said Clinton should resign from office.
-45% believe Congress should impeach the President.
-46% believe Clinton should be censured.
Iowa
CBS is projecting Charles Grassley (Rep) as the winner in the Iowa Senate race and Tom Vilsack (Dem) as the winner in the governor race.
In the Senate race, Grassely out-performed his opponent, David Osterberg, by nearly two to one in virtually every demographic category including gender, race, age, and income.
Grassely did particularly well among those who see cutting taxes as more important than spending more on education.
Overall, 46% of Iowa voters said that cutting taxes was more important than increasing spending on education, while 49% rated spending more on education as more important than cutting taxes.
--Among those who said that cutting taxes was more important, 80% voted for Grassely an20% for Osterberg.
--Among those who said that increasing spending on education was more important, 59% voted for Grassely and 41% for Osterberg.
Kansas
In Kansas, voters disapprove equally of the way both Bill Clinton AND Congress are performing on the job.
57% disapprove of the way Bill Clinton is handling his job as president; 40% approve of the way Bill Clinton is handling his job.
57% disapprove of the Congress is handling its job; 38% approve of the way Congress is handling its job.
A solid majority of Kansas voters (59%) rejected the notion that that Clinton was a factor in their vote for Congress today.
13% said their vote was meant to express support for the president; 25% said their vote for Congress was meant to express opposition to the president.
Most Kansas voters do not believe the president should be impeached. However, similar majorities say he should resign or be censured by Congress:
52% believe Congress should not impeach the president; 41% believe it should impeach.
54% believe the president should resign, and the same proportion say he should be censured by Congress.
Kentucky
Louisiana
Louisiana voters give Clinton high marks on job approval, but generally disapprove of how Congress is handling its job.
62% of Louisiana voters approve of the job Bill Clinton is doing as president, 36% disapprove.
55% disapprove of the way Congress is handling job and 42% approve.
Majorities of Louisiana voters do not think Clinton should be impeached or resign from office. However, they are evenly divide on censure.
59% say Congress should not impeach Clinton and remove him from office.
53% say President Clinton should not resign from office.
44% say Congress should censure the president while 46% say they should not.
A majority of Louisiana voters say Bill Clinton had no effect of their vote for Congress today.
54% said Bill Clinton had no effect on their vote for Congress.
21% said at least one reason behind their vote was to express support for Bill Clinton.
20% said at least one reason was to express opposition to Bill Clinton.
Maine
(No exit polls conducted in the state.)
Maryland
A solid majority of Maryland voters say they disapprove of Congress's handling of its job. 57% say they disapprove of Congress's handling of its job; 38% approve of the way Congress is handling its job.
Nearly seven in ten Maryland voters polled as they left the voting booth say they do not think Congress should impeach President Clinton and remove him from office. 67% of Maryland voters say Congress should not impeach the president and remove him from office.
30% say Congress should impeach the President and remove him from office. 39% say they think the President should resign, 51% think the Congress should censure the president.
Most Maryland voters say tht the way they voted for Congress didn't have much to do with their opinion of the President. 54% say that their vote for Congress did not have anything to do with Bill Clinton. Those who did wish to send a message with their vote for Congress are fairly evenly divided: 20% wished to send a message in support of the president. 24% wished to send a message in opposition to the president.
Massachusetts
What issues determined votes in Massachusetts today? According to exit polls by the Voter News Service, the top three were:
· Ethical and moral standards -- cited as most important by 23 percent.
· Education -- 18 percent.
· Economy and jobs -- 18 percent.
Massachusetts voters appear optimistic about the state's economy, overall. According to the exit polls:
· Only 12% rate the state's economy as "excellent," but fully 78% rate the state economy as "good." Only 9% say the economy is in a negative condition.
· Moreover, 56% of voters believe the state's economy is going to stay in this condition, while 23% believe the state's economy will improve.
· Only 18% have a negative outlook for the state's economy during the next year.
Massachusetts voters are upbeat about their own financial status.
· 41% say that compared their own families' personal financial situations have improved since the last election, two years ago. Only 10% say their families' financial situations have gotten worse. Another 47% say there has been no change in their financial situations.
Massachusetts voters gave generally positive support to President Clinton today. They say issues involving the President were not a factor influencing their votes.
· 65% approve of the way Clinton is handling his job.
· 66% say Clinton was not a factor in their votes for Congress today.
· 73% do not believe Congress should impeach the president, although 49% do believe Clinton should be censured.
· 61% do not believe Clinton should resign.
Voters in the commonwealth disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job:
· 62% of voters in Massachusetts say they disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job.
Michigan
A majority of Michigan voters disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job.
-55% disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job, 39% approve.
A majority of Michigan voters say that their votes for Congress today had nothing to do with Bill Clinton.
-56% said their vote for Congress had nothing to do with Bill Clinton.
-19% said their vote was in part meant to express support for the President.
-22% said that their vote for Congress was in part an expression of opposition to Bill Clinton.
More than six in ten Michigan voters have an unfavorable opinion of Geoffery Feiger.
-63% unfavorable
-34% favorable.
Minnesota
As of 5:30 PM
Clinton enjoys higapproval ratings among Minnesota voters:
· 57% approve of the way Clinton is handling his job.
· 66% hold an unfavorable opinion of Clinton as a person.
· 69% do not believe Clinton should be impeached, yet 50% do support having Congress censure the president.
As of 5:30 PM
Voters are upbeat about Minnesota's economy:
· 90% say the state's economy is in positive shape: Of them, 15% say it's in "excellent" shape and 75% say the state's economy is in "good" shape.
As of 5:30 PM
Minnesota voters are optimistic that the state's economy will stay good: 59% expect it to remain in good shape during the next year and more than one-quarter (26%) expect it to get even better.
Mississippi
(No exit polls conducted in the state.)
Missouri
As of 5:30 PM ET:
It appears that support for President Clinton is very high among Missouri voters.
· Overall, 55% of Missouri voters approve of the way Clinton is handling his job.
· 63% say they do not believe Congress should impeach Clinton.
· 62% do not believe Clinton should resign.
· 53% do not believe Congress should censure Clinton.
At the same time, however, 51% say they hold an unfavorable opinion of Clinton as a person.
Missouri voters are upbeat today about their own personal financial situations. According to exit poll results:
· 38% are saying their financial situations are better than two years ago.
· 48% say their personal financial situations have remained the same.
· Only 13% say their personal financial situations have gotten worse.
Montana
(No exit polls conducted in the state.)
Nebraska
CBS CALL:
Governor: Mike Johanns (Rep, challenger, turnover race)
Johanns drew support today from the following groups:
--56% of men.
--58% of voters 65 years of age and older.
--77% of Republicans and 42% of independents.
--57% of those who feel their own financial situations have gotten worse. Overall, 17% of Nebraska voters say their own personal financial situations have deteriorated since two years ago.
--58% of those who approve of the way Congress is doing its job. Overall, 52% of Nebraska disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job.
Overall, President Clinton gets negative job approval ratings from Nebraska voters, and just a slim majority don't believe he should be impeached.
--56% disapprove of the way Clinton is handling his job.
--53% believe Clinton should resign.
--41% believe Congress should impeach Clinton, yet 51% do not support impeachment.
--50% favor having Congress censure Clinton.
Still, 65% of Nebraska voters say Clinton was not a factor is their votes today.
On Senator Kerrey for President:
--When asked if U.S. Senator John Kerrey would make a good President, 52% say "yes," while 43% say "no."
New Hampshire
A majority of New Hampshire voters disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job, while a slight majority approve of the president' job performance. 55% of voters disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job (40% approve). 51% approve of the way Bill Clinton is handling his job as President (47% disapprove).
A solid majority of New Hampshire voters (58%) reject the notion that Clinton was a factor in their vote for Congress today. 16% said their vote was meant to express support for the president; 23% said their vote for Congress was meant to express opposition to the president.
By nearly two to one New Hampshire voters do not think Congress should impeach President Clinton and remove him from office.
62% say they do not believe Congress should impeach the president and remove him from office.
33% say that Congress should impeach the president and remove him from office.
New Jersey
(No exit polls conducted in the state.)
New Mexico
As of 6:22 PM
New Mexico voters generally expressed support for Clinton today as they left the polls:
· 55% approve of the way Clinton is handling his job, although 59% of voters say they hold an unfavorable opinion of the president as a person.
· 60% do not believe Congress should impeach the president and 54% are against Clinton resigning from office.
As of 6:22 PM
New Mexico voters express divided opinions about Congressional censure of the President:
· 45% say Congress should censure the president while 47% say they president should not be censured by Congress.
As of 6:22 PM
Overall:
· 57% of New Mexico's voters say Clinton was not a factor in how they voted today, while 54% say they disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job.
· 53% believe government is doing too many things that are better left to business and individuals, while 41% are of the belief that government should be doing more to solve problems.