Clinton Ahead of Lazio Among Russian Jewish Voters in NYC

American Jewish Committee
Tuesday, 17 October 2000

A new American Jewish Committee survey shows First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton leading Rep. Rick Lazio among Russian Jewish voters in New York City, though many remain undecided about how they will vote.

Of the 516 Russian Jews surveyed -- all of them United States citizens -- 38 percent said they would vote for Hillary Clinton, 21 percent for Rick Lazio, and 29 percent were not sure.

Regarding the upcoming presidential elections, 77 percent of the respondents said they would vote for Vice President Al Gore and 9 percent for Gov. George W. Bush.

About 90,000 of the estimated 400,000 Jews from the former Soviet Union living in the metropolitan New York area are U.S. citizens. Russian Jews constitute one-quarter of New York's total Jewish population.

"Our survey provides important insight into the political thinking of the Russian Jewish immigrant community," said David Singer, AJC's Director of Research.

The survey (www.ajc.org) was carried out for AJC by the Research Institute for New Americans (RINA), a scholarly entity devoted to the study of Russian Jewish immigrants in the United States. The survey was conducted between September 1-29, 2000. All respondents were interviewed over the phone, in the Russian language, by specially trained personnel. The margin of error for the sample as a whole is plus or minus 5 percentage points.

In January AJC released, Russian Jewish Immigrants in New York City: Status, Identity and Integration, a study also conducted by RINA, which painted a broad picture of a sizable and diverse community that is successfully integrating into American society.

Other findings in the voter survey:

- Fifty-six (56) percent of the respondents identified themselves as Democrat, 22 percent as Independent, and 11 percent as Republican.
-Support for Mrs. Clinton is strongest among Russian Jews who are older, who have lower incomes, and who have low English proficiency. In contrast, Rick Lazio's strongest support is among Russian Jews who are younger, who have higher incomes, and who have high English proficiency.
-The AJC survey reveals that 46 percent of the Russian Jewish voters who plan to vote for Al Gore for president also plan to vote for Hillary Clinton in the Senate race, compared with 13 percent of the Gore supporters who plan to vote for Rick Lazio.

"Russian Jews are a dynamic factor in New York City politics today, and as many as 70,000 Russian Jews will vote for the first time in November," said Dr. Sam Kliger, Chairman of RINA. "They will figure significantly in deciding who wins the New York senatorial race."

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org