Corzine gains an edge with women; Forrester behind by 17 points

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Corzine gains an edge with women
Poll: Forrester behind by 17 points in vital bloc
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
BY DEBORAH HOWLETT
Star-Ledger Staff

Both major candidates for governor are working hard to win over women voters, well aware they historically go to the polls in larger numbers than men.

So far, those numbers favor Democrat Jon Corzine over Republican Doug Forrester. Recent polls have shown women voters tilting to Corzine, whose campaign targets the economic and social issues that tend to be of greatest concern to them.

"A lot of the things he supports, I do, too, like stem cell research and right to choose, the general empowerment of women," said Jayasri Ganapathy, a 19-year-old Rutgers student from Rockaway Township who attended a Corzine rally with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton last week.


A recent Star-Ledger/Eagleton-Rutgers Poll showed more women see Corzine as the candidate who would do a better job solving the state budget crisis, improving education and health care, protecting against terrorism and reducing property taxes. Forrester held a slight advantage with women when it comes to stamping out corruption.

The poll showed likely women voters supporting Corzine over Forrester by a margin of 17 percentage points, 50 percent to 33 percent -- while men favored Forrester 42 percent to 37 percent. A Quinnipiac poll last week showed similar contrast.

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