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Public Policy Polling asked 400 likely Republican primary voters over the weekend who their favorite is. Governor Perry came in with 40 percent. U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison had 31 percent, while Debra Medina captured 20 percent.
Medina’s support has dropped five percent in just two weeks. But what’s even more significant is the increasing number of voters who view her negatively. Dean Debnam is the president of Public Policy Polling.
“Actually, she’s gone from only a nine-percent negative to a 36 percent negative.. and from a plus 31 positive, to only a plus 6 positive. So that’s a 25 percent drop, which means she’s taken some pretty good hits.”
Debnam says responses to specific questions in the poll showed voters were turned off by Medina’s remarks earlier this month that appeared to lend credence to the idea that the federal government was involved in the 9-11 terrorist attacks. Still, Debnam doesn’t see Medina’s drop in support as giving Governor Perry the boost he needs to avoid an April 13th runoff against Senator Hutchison. That’s because there are still nine percent who are undecided.
“I think if undecides split, as I would normally expect them to split, then you’re gonna see Perry at something around, y’know, 45, and Hutchison around 35, and the remainder going to Medina.”
On the Democratic side, the Public Policy Polling survey found what several other polls have found — former mayor Bill White seems to have the nomination locked up, with 59 percent support, compared to 12 percent for Farouk Shami.
To view this survey, go to www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Release_TX_223730.pdf.
