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The York Dispatch primary poll was conducted from Thursday, April 5, through Tuesday, April 10, using telephone interviews. This was prior to Rick Santorum dropping out of the race for president. Only people who have voted in previous primaries and are planning on voting in the upcoming primary were included in the poll. Respondents also had to be either a Democrat or a Republican.
The sample size for the poll is 400. A sample of this size has a maximum margin of error of +/-4.9 percent at the 95 percent level of confidence. This means if the population of primary voters were interviewed, their answers would be within this range of the sample s answers 95 percent of the time.
Click here to see full poll results, and look below for all of our poll coverage:
• Poll: Some voters say GOP too far right (4/17/2012)
• Poll: Voters would support Platts if he were running (4/16/2012)
• Poll: Jobs, benefits top priorities for area voters (4/16/2012)
• Poll: Reilly leads Perry in the 4th, but most voters still uncertain (4/13/2012)
• Poll: Romney up 10 points over Obama among voters in the 4th (4/13/2012)
A slight majority of all decided voters in the 4th Congressional District, both Democratic and Republican, said they'd rather vote for retiring incumbent U.S. Rep. Todd Platts, R-York County, instead of the actual candidates they chose in a poll recently commissioned by The York Dispatch.
Of 121 decided voters, 61, or 50.4 percent, said they'd cast a vote for Platts if he were running. Though Platts is a Repub-
lican, he got a higher percentage of loyalty from Democratic voters.
Of the 28 decided Democrats, 15, or 53.6 percent, said they'd vote for Platts over either Democratic candidate -- Harry Perkinson and Ken Lee.
On the Republican side, 49.5 percent, or 46 Republicans, said they'd choose Platts over any of the seven candidates.
Leaders from both parties said they understand the affinity for the incumbent.
Bob Kefauver, chairman of the Democratic Party of York County, said both Perkinson and Lee are "new," and some people were happy with Platts' performance.
Bob Wilson, who chairs the York County Republican Party, said voters are apprehensive about change.
"I think people like ... what they know," he said.
Face-off: A majority of the people committed to York County Commissioner Chris Reilly, who received the most votes in the poll, said they would rather vote for Platts. Of the 38 who said they would likely vote for Reilly, 26, or 68.4 percent, said they would prefer to vote for Platts instead. Reilly was the only Republican candidate with a majority of followers saying they'd prefer the retiring incumbent.
Reilly said he wasn't surprised by the results.
"Todd is very popular," he said. "He has worked very hard for residents in the 19th District. That's why if Todd Platts had decided to run for re-election, I wouldn't have run."
State Rep. Scott Perry, R-Dillsburg, was the second-highest vote-getter in the poll. Of his supporters, 48.1 percent, or 13 of 27, said they preferred Platts.
Perry said Platts "is a very popular individual, as he should be, and people see his work ethic."
Won't endorse: While both men said they have some attributes in common with Platts, neither can look forward to an endorsement from the incumbent.
Platts, who has said he's stepping down to honor a self-imposed 12-year term limit, said he won't endorse a candidate.
He said his reasons for not endorsing someone are akin to his support for term limits.
"Every 12 years, we need to level the playing field," he said. "Once every 12 years, the power of incumbency should be null and void, and thus my support for term limits. If I endorsed someone, the power of incumbency would still be at play ... and benefit someone else in this race."
He said he found it "humbling and overwhelming" to receive such feedback in the poll.
"It's very heartwarming to know I've generated positive thoughts in that regard," he said.
