A statewide survey of likely Arizona 2018 General Election voters revealed that nearly 62% of voters believe that the memorial to Confederate Soldiers on the Arizona Capitol Mall should be kept. The results are derived from the same survey that showed President Trump with a 41.8% approval rating and 56.8% opposition to a pardon of Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Q. In the past week, there has been a national discussion over whether or not statues honoring members of the Confederate Army should be removed from public spaces. Currently, there is a memorial to Confederate soldiers at the Capitol Mall, which is on public land across from the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix. Do you think this specific memorial should be kept in its current location or removed?
51.5% Definitely Kept
10.3% Probably Kept
6.0% Probably Removed
26.3% Definitely Removed
6.0% Don’t Know, Refused
“These results show that this debate is not simply a partisan issue. More than 61% of independent voters and 60% of unaffiliated voters believe that the memorial should be kept. Bear in mind, these are the same groups that currently have lower than 33% approval of the President,” said Chuck Coughlin, President & CEO of HighGround Public Affairs, which conducted the poll. “It is clear that this issue is complicated and deeply personal. As the political parties continue to appeal to smaller and smaller audiences and cater to identity politics, they will find it increasingly difficult to address complex issues. The challenge that the survey reveals is that there are mixed results with an ‘either/or’ approach.”
The survey specifically asked about the Confederate monument that currently stands on the mall in front of the Arizona State Capitol. It did not address any of the other Confederate monuments or freeway names throughout the state.
“Instead of simply using this issue as a partisan wedge to cudgel opponents with or advance an ideological agenda, we need our leaders to lead a constructive dialogue. Arizona is a unique state with an independent spirit and has shown time and again that it is up to the challenge to face and have thoughtful discourse on tough issues,” Coughlin concluded.
“As I have said before, we must find our way back to discussing, learning, and growing from meaningful discussions about our collective past. Taking a hard and fast approach to this issue may not have the desired results for those seeking to build a General Election coalition. It is my hope that these results will be viewed as a call to bring people together to have a thoughtful dialogue.”
The audience tested in the statewide live caller survey was set to reflect the 2018 General Election in Arizona.
The poll surveyed 400 likely Arizona 2018 general election voters who have a history of electoral participation and was balanced to model the likely turnout of voters across party, age, region, and gender. The live interview survey of voters was conducted by HighGround Public Affairs to both landline and cell phone users. Anticipated turnout for the Arizona 2018 General Election has a partisan gap of Republican +12%.
Q. In the past week, there has been a national discussion over whether or not statues honoring members of the Confederate Army should be removed from public spaces. Currently, there is a memorial to Confederate soldiers at the Capitol Mall, which is on public land across from the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix. Do you think this specific memorial should be kept in its current location or removed?
51.5% Definitely Kept
10.3% Probably Kept
6.0% Probably Removed
26.3% Definitely Removed
6.0% Don’t Know, Refused
The survey was conducted on August 18-19th and the margin of error of the survey is ±4.88% with 95% confidence. The HighGround team has built a reputation of reliable and accurate polling over the past ten years – our research has been featured on Nate Silver’s 538, Real Clear Politics, Huffington Post, and many other publications. Last year, HighGround “nailed” the Prop 123 election results within 0.2% of the outcome prior to the May 2016 Special election. Clients and surveys conducted by HighGround include League of Arizona Cities and Towns, Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona, Restoring Arizona, Arizona Hospital and Health Care Association, Education Health and Safety Coalition, local school districts, and various candidate campaigns. Visit our website to learn more about HighGround’s polling experience.
Survey Demographics
Age Group:
10.8% 20 to 29
15.3% 30 to 39
19.7% 40 to 49
29.5% 50 to 64
24.7% 65 Plus
Sex:
48.0% Male
52.0% Female
Party:
44.2% Republican
31.8% Democrat
15.0% PND
9.0% Independent/Other
Congressional District:
11.0% CD1
14.3% CD2
7.0% CD3
11.0% CD4
12.3% CD5
13.7% CD6
6.0% CD7
13.0% CD8
11.7% CD9