New Poll Shows McKenna Leads in GOP Primary
New Poll Shows McKenna Leads in GOP Primary
January 26, 2010
Jeff Goldblatt
FOX Chicago News
With a week to go before Primary Election day, a new poll shows former Illinois GOP Chairman, Andy McKenna, inching ahead of a crowded field, with a considerable number of voters still undecided in the Republican Governor's race.
The Rasmussen Poll, released first to FOX Chicago News, asked 527 likely GOP voters: "Suppose the 2010 Republican Primary for governor of Illinois were held today. Would you vote for Kirk Dillard, Jim Ryan, Andy McKenna, Bill Brady, Dan Proft or Adam Andrzejewski?"
The results:
Kirk Dillard: 13 percent
Jim Ryan: 16 percent
Andy McKenna: 20 percent
Bill Brady: 11 percent
Dan Proft: 8 percent
Adam Andrzejewski: 11 percent
Some other candidate: 4 percent
Not sure: 17 percent
The statewide poll was taken on January 25, 2010 and has a sampling error of +/- 5 percentage points.
"It is clear Andy McKenna’s campaign continues to gain momentum and that his message of cutting spending and saying no to tax increases is resonating with voters throughout Illinois, " said McKenna for Illinois Spokesman Lance Trover, after learning of the new Rasmussen numbers.
The Rassmussen poll comes on the very day that a separate poll shows Hinsdale State Senator Kirk Dillard ahead of a closely bunched field in the Republican Governor's Race, with five of the candidates polling within eight points of each other. Public Policy Polling (PPP) surveyed 573 likely Republican primary voters from January 22nd to January 25th.
The results:
Kirk Dillard: 19 percent
Andy McKenna: 17 percent
Bill Brady: 16 percent
Jim Ryan: 13 percent
Adam Andrzejewski: at 11 percent
Undecided: 17 percent
In a press release , Dillard for Governor Campaign Manager Tim Peters praised the PPP poll results:
"Today’s poll from Public Policy Polling shows that the Dillard campaign continues to gain momentum from voters across the state. It’s clear that Illinois Republicans are supporting Dillard’s plan to create jobs, balance our State’s budget, and clean up corruption in Springfield."
One of the state's more closely followed Republican political blogs, The Illinois Review, which bills itself as the "Crossroads of the Conservative Community," took issue with a perceived bias of PPP, which it called, "A Democratic polling firm."
"Public Policy Polling's clients include a host of Democrat candidates, as well as state affiliates of left-wing organizations such as AFSCME, Equality Across America, National Popular Vote, Inc., NARAL, National Education Association, Planned Parenthood, and others," states the blog.
In an apparent response to the Illinois Review, The Dillard Campaign's Tim Peters said, "Public Policy Polling is a highly reputable and accurate firm with a great track record in 2008 and most recently, the Massachusetts Senate race. The Wall Street Journal cites Public Policy Polling was one of the most accurate pollsters of the 2008 election cycle."
PPP President Dean Debnam tells FOX Chicago, "It's a toss-up among Republicans...With people grouped that close together, anyone could come out on top."
A recent Chicago Tribune poll, taken from January 16-20, 2010 showed Andy McKenna with 19 percent support; Jim Ryan with 18 percent; Kirk Dillard with 14 percent; Bill Brady with 9 percent; Adam Andrzejewski with 7 percent; Dan Proft with 6 percent; Bob Shillerstrom (who, on January 22nd, suspended his campaign) with 2 percent; and 17 percent undecided in the survey of 592 likely Republican primary voters.
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