Poll Shows Gov. Weld Supported By Majority

Although a majority of Massachusetts votes support the reelection of Gov. William F. Weld '66, a significant number doubt his ethics and found-raising tactics, according to a recent poll.

Fifty-nine percent of votes surveyed said they thought Weld was doing an excellent or above-average job as governor.

Another 24 percent said they thought he was doing a below-average or poor job and 14 percent said that he was doing an average job. Four percent did not know or refused to comment.

The Boston Globe/WBZ-TV public opinion poll of 403 Massachusetts voters was conducted last Tuesday and Wednesday and has a margin of error of plus or minus five percent.

Fifty-five percent of those polled said that Weld deserved reelection, while 29 percent said that someone else should hold the governorship.

Those numbers contrast sharply with those foundin February, when 43 percent said Weld deservedreelection and 36 percent said it was time forsomeone else.

Weld easily edged out his three Democraticopponents.

State Rep. Mark Roosevelt '78 (D-Boston) wasWeld's top contender, receiving the approval of 27percent as opposed to the governor's 55 percent.In a February poll, 59 percent of voters supportedWeld and 25 percent backed Roosevelt.

Weld prevailed over state Sen. Michael J.Barrett '70 (D-Cambridge) 56 percent to 23percent; in February, the respective percentageswere 58 percent to 24 percent.

The governor beat former state Sen. GeorgeBachrach (D-Watertown) by 60 percent to 21percent, only a slight change from Weld's 58percent to 20 percent triumph over the senator inFebruary.

But a good number of voters had qualms aboutthe governor's financial record. Forty-one percentsaid they believed that Weld's pursuit to campaignmoney has influenced the way he has administeredgovernment. On the other hand, 39 percent saidthat they did not think that Weld's search formoney has affected his performance.

A full 63 percent of those surveyed said it wasinappropriate for Weld's campaign chair PeterBerlandi to raise money for the governor whileserving as a State House lobbyist for BechtelCorp., which is co-managing the CentralArtery/Third Harbor Tunnel project.

Eighteen percent said that relationship did notbother them, while 19 percent said they wereunsure or did not give an opinion.

One key figure said that he believes thatworries about corruption could be one of theDemocrats' few trump cards in this race.

"If I were a Democratic candidate, I would talkabout corruption in the Weld administrationmorning, noon and night," said Gerry Chervinsky,president of KRC Communications Research ofNewton, which conducted the Globe poll.

This story was complied with the help ofwire reports and reports from the BostonGlobe.

Those numbers contrast sharply with those foundin February, when 43 percent said Weld deservedreelection and 36 percent said it was time forsomeone else.

Weld easily edged out his three Democraticopponents.

State Rep. Mark Roosevelt '78 (D-Boston) wasWeld's top contender, receiving the approval of 27percent as opposed to the governor's 55 percent.In a February poll, 59 percent of voters supportedWeld and 25 percent backed Roosevelt.

Weld prevailed over state Sen. Michael J.Barrett '70 (D-Cambridge) 56 percent to 23percent; in February, the respective percentageswere 58 percent to 24 percent.

The governor beat former state Sen. GeorgeBachrach (D-Watertown) by 60 percent to 21percent, only a slight change from Weld's 58percent to 20 percent triumph over the senator inFebruary.

But a good number of voters had qualms aboutthe governor's financial record. Forty-one percentsaid they believed that Weld's pursuit to campaignmoney has influenced the way he has administeredgovernment. On the other hand, 39 percent saidthat they did not think that Weld's search formoney has affected his performance.

A full 63 percent of those surveyed said it wasinappropriate for Weld's campaign chair PeterBerlandi to raise money for the governor whileserving as a State House lobbyist for BechtelCorp., which is co-managing the CentralArtery/Third Harbor Tunnel project.

Eighteen percent said that relationship did notbother them, while 19 percent said they wereunsure or did not give an opinion.

One key figure said that he believes thatworries about corruption could be one of theDemocrats' few trump cards in this race.

"If I were a Democratic candidate, I would talkabout corruption in the Weld administrationmorning, noon and night," said Gerry Chervinsky,president of KRC Communications Research ofNewton, which conducted the Globe poll.

This story was complied with the help ofwire reports and reports from the BostonGlobe.