Indiana: Dem Poll Shows Lugar Leads Mourdock by 6 Points (Dem polls GOP primary)

Roll Call ^ | March 19, 2012 | Shira Toeplitz

[Clintonfatigued]

Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) is barely leading his primary opponent, state Treasurer Richard Mourdock, less than two months before the primary, according to a Democratic poll released today.

The numbers showed the six-term Senator in rough shape but still ahead of Mourdock, 45 percent to 39 percent.

Lugar faces the toughest re-election campaign of his career in the May 8 primary. Since the start of this cycle, Republicans viewed him as vulnerable in a primary, but polling of his race has been scarce in part because Indiana law restricts automated calls, including polling.

Rep. Joe Donnelly (D) will run against the winner of the GOP primary, and Democrats view Lugar as a more competitive candidate in the general election. Donnelly’s campaign released the GOP primary poll numbers in a memo from his pollster, Global Strategy Group.

The pollster also noted that Lugar’s lead has been cut in half from a similar poll in October, which showed Lugar leading Mourdock by 12 points, 48 percent to 36 percent.

The new survey took the opinion of 500 likely Republican primary voters in Indiana from March 12 to 15.

[Clintonfatigued]

I don’t know what to think of this poll. Is this an honest poll or was it slanted to influence the Republican primary? Given that Obama’s popularity in Indiana has tanked, whoever wins the Republican primary is the front-runner in the general election.

[muawiyah]

There are hundreds of thousands of Indiana Republicans who will vote for Lugar over any opponent just because he's going to be a committee chairman if/when Republicans take over the Senate.

Since the Senator's staff actually runs the show (and that's the case with every senior senator) that gives many Indiana interests more influence over legislation than they'd have otherwise ~ like with a new senator with no seniority.

It's a tough hurdle to overcome. Ask the guys who ran against Jesse Helms what that's like. Harvey Gantt found out that applied to Democrats as well when Helms whipped him with 52% of the vote ~ meaning Helms did draw certain Democrat voters.

[A. Morgan]

LOL

Loogar has TANKED!

[Qbert]

There’s also a Citizens United-Wenzel Strategies poll out, and it shows the same result:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/david-catanese/2012/03/two-polls-mourdock-within-of-lugar-117835.html

[Impy]

Democrats view Lugar as a more competitive candidate in the general election

Competitive, lol. Poor phrasing here. Either Republican will be strongly favored to hand Donnelly his ass.

[Clintonfatigued]

Why would any Republican vote for Richard Lugar in the primary now? It’s a mystery to me.