SPECIAL NOTE: We start our July Serafin Power Poll report with thoughts and prayers for former President Donald Trump and the victims of the shootings in Butler, Pennsylvania.

This poll was conducted last week, two days prior to what the FBI is calling an assassination attempt on former President Trump.

As our country attempts to heal from this troubling event and with today’s kickoff of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, we are grateful for the thoughtful dialogue among our Power Pollers . 

This month, we asked our Power Pollers to weigh in on the state of the presidential race, shaken by the recent debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, as well as the issue of candidate age limits.

Despite widespread angst surrounding President Biden’s performance in the debate, our poll reveals that almost 82 percent of those surveyed said it did not significantly influence their opinions regarding either candidate.

However, there is a bit of concerning news for the Biden campaign in Illinois, a traditionally Democratic stronghold. Just over 9.5 percent of respondents said that as a result of the debate, they are now undecided, while another 7 percent said they had switched their preference.

Slightly less than two percent said they have always been undecided, and the debate did not help clarify their stance.

Our next question tackles an age-old debate.

While there is currently a minimum age requirement of 35 to run for U.S. President, there is no maximum age limit.

We asked our Pollers if they would support an upper age limit for presidential candidates.

Although almost 36 percent of Power Pollers said they would not support an upper age limit, 30 percent said they would support an age limit of 75, and 23.5 percent would support an upper age limit of 70. Only 6 percent felt the upper age limit should be 65.

 

In a recent Biden campaign fundraising email, a poll compared President Biden’s potential for success against former President Trump with other possible Democratic candidates. President Biden emerged as the strongest candidate against Trump in that poll.

So we listed several prominent Democrats and asked Pollers who they thought would have the best chance to win the November general election.

Our poll aligned with the Biden campaign’s findings, with 34 percent agreeing that President Biden has the best chance. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was the second choice at 18.5 per cent followed by Vice President Kamala Harris at 13.4 percent. There was a tie for fourth place between Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and California Governor Gavin Newsom, each with about 11.5 percent.

 

For those growing weary of politics (seriously, it’s only July!), we switched gears and asked about a perennial summer problem: traffic.

A recent University of Illinois study ranked Chicago traffic as the second-worst in the nation, behind New York City.

We asked which major highway is the least favorite to travel due to congestion, and the Kennedy Expressway topped the list.

Just over 47 percent of those surveyed said the Kennedy was their biggest travel nightmare, 25.5 percent said the Eisenhower, and 14.5 percent said the Dan Ryan.

Buckle up, folks!

The Democratic National Convention will be here in just a few short weeks and that could make getting around our beautiful city of Chicago a whole lot more difficult.

 

Finally, we asked a question about well-known Chicago philanthropist Anne Lurie, who recently passed away at the age of 79.

Anne Lurie was a remarkable woman whose contributions greatly impacted our city and she will be missed.

We asked pollers which of her philanthropic initiatives had the most significant impact on the city.

Not surprisingly, her namesake hospital, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, was the top choice with 91 percent of the vote.

 

PS — If you know someone who’d like to participate in our poll, please shoot us an email. Thanks for your support! Enjoy this great Chicago summer.

 

The Serafin Power Poll is not a scientific poll, but rather a fascinating and non-partisan glimpse into the attitudes and opinions of the decision-makers and thought leaders in the Chicago region. See all Serafin Power Poll articles at serafin.com/powerpoll.