FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2009
CONTACT:
Elizabeth Ray (x130) or
Mary Beth Hutchins (x105) at 703-683-5004
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MARRIAGE RELEASES NEW POLL:
“HER VOTE FOR GAY MARRIAGE HURT DEDE SCOZZAFAVA WITH NY-23 VOTERS”
(Washington, D.C.) - The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today released the results of a poll of 318 likely voters taken Sunday and Monday in New York’s 23rd district.
The poll shows that Dede Scozzafava’s support for gay marriage was a key factor in GOP and independent voters turn towards Doug Hoffman.
How much did Scozzafava’s support for gay marriage hurt her in NY-23? The majority of voters in NY-23 oppose gay marriage:
52 percent oppose gay marriage
35 percent favor gay marriage
13 percent responded “don’t know/refuse.”
Half of Hoffman’s supporters (50%) say that Dede Scozzafava’s support for the legalization of same-sex marriage was a factor in their decision not to support her. Similarly, 45% of Hoffman’s supporters say that his position on same-sex marriage was a factor in their decision to vote for him. Only 11% of Owens voters say his position on same-sex marriage was a factor in their decision to support him.
NOM’s independent expenditures included more than $110,000 in this upstate New York congressional district to make sure voters were aware of Dede Scozzafava’s votes for gay marriage in the New York Assembly. "NOM sent two separate mailers to more than 70,000 households where voters said they opposed gay marriage (160,000 pieces of mail overall), highlighting Scozzafava's vote for gay marriage,” said Brian Brown, “In addition, NOM robocalls and live calls reached more than 60,000 households letting them know that Scozzafava had abandoned their values on the marriage issue; these calls generated more than 300 volunteers for Hoffman."
NOM’s voter outreach clearly had an impact: 60% of voters recall having seen advertisements on the issue of same-sex marriage, and Hoffman leads 50%-34% among those who recall seeing such ads, while Hoffman is tied with Owens, 42% - 41%, among those who do not recall having seen such ads.
“While the press frequently lumps opposition to gay marriage in with “social conservative” views, average Americans do not view it that way,” says Maggie Gallagher, president of NOM. “Voters think it is support for gay marriage that is ideological and extreme, not support for marriage as the union of husband and wife, and they wonder about politicians who can’t stand up for basic ordinary common sense values.”
“Empire State Pride Agenda promised Dede Scozzafava they would protect her if she voted for gay marriage, but they were nowhere to be found in this race,” notes Brian Brown, executive director of NOM. “The HRC announced it was sending emails to 850 voters in NY-23. Big deal. This should be a wake-up call to GOP politicians who think they can play clever insider games and cut special deals on the marriage issue: it’s not going to work. The voters are not on your side.”
NOM’s poll found Hoffman currently leads 42 percent to 34 percent with 16 percent for Scozzafava and 8 percent undecided. A substantial majority of current Scozzafava supporters (87%) are nonetheless aware that she has suspended her campaign. Among voters who have decided for whom to vote, Hoffman leads 46 percent to 37 percent for Owens and 17 percent for Scozzafava. 56 percent of Scozzafava supporters say Owens is currently their second choice.
This survey was conducted by QEV Analytics, and consists of 318 interviews with persons who said they were likely to vote in today’s election. The sample was derived from a random selection of registered voters in New York’s 23rd Congressional District. The interviews were conducted by live interviewer on November 1 & 2. The margin of sampling error for a survey of this size is +/- 5.5% at the 95 percent confidence level.
To speak with Maggie Gallagher, President, or Brian Brown, Executive Director of NOM, please contact Elizabeth Ray ext. 130, eray@crcpublicrelations.com, or Mary Beth Hutchins ext. 105, mhutchins@crcpublicrelations.com, at 703-683-5004.
The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to protect marriage and the faith communities that sustain it. Founded in response to the growing need for an organized opposition to same-sex marriage in state legislatures, NOM serves as a national resource for marriage-related initiatives at the state and local level. For decades, pro-family organizations have educated the public about the importance of marriage and the family, but have lacked the organized, national presence needed to impact state and local politics in a coordinated and sustained fashion. NOM seeks to fill that void, organizing as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, giving it the flexibility to lobby and support marriage initiatives across the nation. Find out more at www.nationformarriage.org.
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