New SC Gubernatorial Poll Shows Wide Open Race
A new poll shows a wide open contest in the race to replace S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford, with Republicans and Democrats nowhere near to settling on their nominees for next year’s general election campaign.
Over forty percent of Democrats and nearly thirty percent of Republicans declined to name a favorite in the new poll, which was published Tuesday on the website Real Clear Politics.
On the Republican side, the poll found S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster and Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer tied for the lead with the support of 22% of GOP voters. Meanwhile, S.C. Rep. Nikki Haley came in a surprising third place with13%, while U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett -considered by many to be the front-runner for the GOP nomination – came in a disappointing fourth place with only 9%.
State Sen. Larry Grooms finished with 6%.
Here’s the GOP breakdown …
Henry McMaster – 22%
Andre Bauer – 22%
Nikki Haley – 13%
Gresham Barrett – 9%
Larry Grooms – 6%
No opinion – 28%
In the democratic primary, Superintendent of Education Jim Rex – the only democrat who currently enjoys statewide name identification – is the early leader with the support of 21% of democratic voters, with liberal lobbyist Dwight Drake scoring a surprisingly strong second place with 15%. S.C. Sen. Vincent Sheheen – another presumed front-runner – finished third with just 8%.
Nearly half of democratic voters declined to name a favorite, however.
Here’s the democratic breakdown …
Jim Rex – 21%
Dwight Drake – 15%
Vincent Sheheen – 8%
Robert Ford – 6%
Mullins McLeod – 6%
No opinion – 44%
The poll was conducted on Dec. 16 by Insider Advantage/Majority Opinion.
In addition to the gubernatorial question, 39% of South Carolinians said they felt their state was moving in the wrong direction, compared to 32% who said it was moving in the right direction.
Also, 30% of respondents described themselves as “independents,” a sign that voters are increasingly fed up with the performance of both parties.
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Comments
By Todd on December 23rd, 2009 at 2:15 pm
This is about as relevant as a pre-season poll for the 2010 college football rankings.
By Slip on December 23rd, 2009 at 5:18 pm
I’m Nikki Haley and I approve this message.
By Ynot on December 23rd, 2009 at 5:43 pm
nobody asked me but I say Go Dwight Drake!
By Allen Gorey on December 24th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Any poll this early is worthless. None of the campaigns have really begun, and it’s the holidays. I don’t think a Democrat will win the general election (regardless of who they nominate since Obama is very unpopular down here and so is his healthcare plan). South Carolina is one of the most conservative states, so I don’t see him or the Dems making headway even in light of the Governor’s scandal.
I’m with Gresham Barrett (I am a little biased about that). I think he has the most experience, and has a good plan on bringing jobs back to South Carolina and making us more competitive towards bigger states too. He’s been given the taxpayer hero’s award and is the most conservative member of the house (even outranking Congressman Wilson). If he brings his ultra conservative record to Columbia I think that would be best for SC.
By Mike at the beach on December 25th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Regardless of who you’re backing, everyone should know that a December poll for a race that’s 7/11 months away is about an inch from being irrelevant. The fact that Bauer is tied for first should have been your first clue; it’s basically a name recognition thing at this stage of the game.
By Neocon on December 28th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Here’s the GOP breakdown …
Henry McMaster – 22%
Andre Bauer – 22%
Nikki Haley – 13%
Gresham Barrett – 9%
Larry Grooms – 6%
No opinion – 28%
There’s no way…maybe around cola.
By WorkingTommyC on December 28th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Spin, spin, spin! I’m getting dizzy!
I’m a Nikki Haley supporter and yes, right now is pretty early, I’ll admit.
However, if it’s just “name recognition,” as suggested above then why is US Rep. Barrett with about a million (”Just say ‘YES!’ to corporate bailout”) dollars in his campaign war chest behind a relatively poor state legislator from Lexington County?
Inertia matters a lot in political campaigns.
Barrett ain’t got it and every time he opens his mouth, the public perception of his IQ drops another 10 points. Add that to his absenteeism after we’ve endured an absentee governor for years and I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for him to recover.
By Paul_in_SC on February 5th, 2010 at 12:01 am
Go Nikki!