The recently released survey from the Delaware Journalism Collaborative should be required reading for those in the business community who want to take the pulse of the state.
Click here for a summary of the findings.
The collaborative commissioned the scientific poll from the respected Frankin & Marshall Center for Opinion Research as the group prepares for coverage on the issue of polarization and how it affects communities and decision-making.
Due to its small population, polling is infrequent in Delaware, with surveys coming during presidential election years.
Delaware Business Now is a member of the collaborative, which received a two-year grant from the Solutions Journalism Network.
The survey paints a portrait of a medium blue state, with nearly half of those polled describing themselves as moderates, with a slender plurality of independents.
One finding that may give businesspeople pause is that most polled people believe the current regulatory environment is OK.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway is the age gap, with three in four young adults believing the state is on the right path, with less than 40% of those 55 or over in agreement.
Party affiliation has a lot to do with one’s outlook. Only one in five Republicans approved of the state’s direction compared to three in four Democrats.
For a struggling Republican Party that recently went through a bruising state convention, the challenge will be how to reach younger voters with a compelling message. The fallback position may be tailoring their message to older voters in a state with a high percentage of seniors.
One ray of hope for Republicans is the unpopular proposed 2035 electric vehicle mandate That issue was not in the collaborative’s survey. Also, President Biden is not an especially popular figure in Delaware when compared to the governor and the state congressional delegation.
One popular theme in GOP circles – too much immigration – does not resonate with those surveyed in Delaware. Seven in 10 believe those coming to this country make a positive contribution. The results might have been different if the border protection question had been asked.
One of the most striking findings was the upstate-downstate division on the biggest concerns. In fast-growing Sussex County, the majority felt the state was headed in the wrong direction, a marked contrast to the view from New Castle County.
At the same time, Sussex Countians saw population and sprawl as the biggest issues, with crime further down the list. Sussex County government has traditionally taken a pro-growth stance that contributed to inadquate roads and unwalkable sprawl that vaguely resembles what we see in New Castle County.
The state’s General Assembly did not get high marks, although its spending priorities seem to have majority support. Both independents and Democrats believe more money should be spent on education. By contrast, Republicans point to the state’s high education spending and low test scores as a sign that money is being wasted.
Finally, the survey of 500 Delawarens was terrible news to the state’s media community, with only 2% indicating they get their news from a local daily or weekly news outlet. Cable TV – Fox, CNN, etc. was the biggest source. – Doug Rainey, chief content officer.
