Posted on 10/29/2004 7:30:44 PM PDT by red flanker
By Associated Press Oct 29, 2004 - 07:54:37 am PDT
OLYMPIA -- New polls show Republican Dino Rossi edging closer to the longtime Democratic front-runner, Christine Gregoire, in Washington's race for governor.
Democratic Sen. Patty Murray's lead has widened over GOP nominee George Nethercutt.
Polls also had Sen. John Kerry continuing a slim lead over President Bush in the battle for Washington's 11 electoral votes.
Gregoire's lead over Rossi averaged about 6 percentage points in polls conducted this week, compared with the 8 or 9 point leads the attorney general enjoyed in September.
Rossi said in an interview that voters are responding to his appeal for a change in Olympia after 20 years of Democrats in the governor's mansion, and to his message about improving the business climate and creating jobs.
"We have the momentum," Rossi said. "It is going to happen."
Gregoire's campaign spokesman, Morton Brilliant, said the campaign feels comfortable, but not complacent, about her poll numbers.
"But we're working extremely hard," he said. "Chris is out there every day asking for every vote and getting out the message that Dino Rossi is the wrong kind of change and supports the Bush-Cheney agenda."
The polls:
--GOVERNOR. A poll released Thursday by Strategic Vision, a Republican firm based in Atlanta, put Gregoire at 47 percent and Rossi at 42 percent, with 11 percent undecided. The firm contacted 801 likely voters Sunday through Tuesday. Margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
A media poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and KOMO had a similar gap, with Gregoire at 48 percent and Rossi at 43 percent. The poll of 800 registered voters was published Thursday and was conducted Monday and Tuesday, with a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.
Independent pollster Stuart Elway's latest poll put Gregoire at 45 percent and Rossi at 38 percent. He surveyed 405 registered voters Oct. 14-16. Margin of error: plus or minus 5 percentage points.
A poll of 406 registered voters conducted Sept. 17-20 by Ipsos-Public Affairs showed Gregoire with a 49 percent to 43 percent lead over Rossi. The poll, commissioned by The Columbian of Vancouver, The Herald of Everett and The News Tribune in Tacoma, had a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.
An Elway poll Sept. 17-19 of 405 registered voters had Gregoire ahead 49 percent to 38 percent, with the rest undecided. The margin of error was plus or minus 5 percentage points.
--PRESIDENT. Kerry leads Bush 51 percent to 44 percent in the Strategic Vision poll, with independent Ralph Nader at 2 percent and the rest undecided. Mason-Dixon poll had Kerry at 50 percent and Bush at 45 percent, others at 1 percent and 4 percent undecided. Elway had Kerry at 50 percent and Bush at 44 percent.
--SENATE. Murray, the two-term incumbent, maintained a comfortable lead over Nethercutt. Strategic Vision put her at 49 percent and Nethercutt at 41 percent. The PI-KOMO poll had a 14-point spread, 53 percent for Murray and 39 percent for Nethercutt. Elway had a 17-point spread: Murray 54, Nethercutt 37.
If this skank can't be ousted after publicly kissing OBL ars, I have no hope for the folks in WA. pity
We 509ers will pick up the slack.
ping
Said all along, in order of chances for election-
1) Rossi
2) Bush
3) Nethercutt
So far it's following that prediction.
Rossi has a shot.
Bush would take a landslide.
Nethercutt would take a miracle.
All of this could, imo, have been different if 2 years of consistent campaigning had been made. WA is not the type of state that can be won in a couple of months. In order to overcome King County and a couple other cities, you need a strong personable candidate and a VERY energized base across the rest of the state. This would require consistent pounding from a decided candidate begun far enough in advance to gain name recognition, and reach out to the Hispanic and Reagan Democrat community.
An early landslide would really help us here in WA, so would a natural disaster in the Lib infect side of the state.
I don't know what it would take to replace Bagdad Jim McDermott
Martial Law? LOL
Polls trolls! Murray is a DISGRACE to the country! I know I can't be the only WA voter who hasn't been polled.
As for the governor's race: GO DINO!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.