ATLANTA (AP) — Former governor Roy Barnes holds a big lead in the race for the Democratic nomination for governor of Georgia, while the Republican race is likely headed to a runoff, according to a poll reported Thursday.
The poll shows Barnes with 54 percent of the Democratic vote, while his nearest challenger, Attorney General Thurbert Baker, has 20 percent. Former Georgia National Guard Commander David Poythress has 7 percent and House Minority Leader DuBose Porter has 3 percent. Another 16 percent are undecided.
On the Republican side, state insurance commissioner John Oxendine is the apparent leader with 31 percent of the vote to 23 percent for Karen Handel, the former secretary of state. Former congressman Nathan Deal gets 18 percent, and former state Sen. Eric Johnson is fourth with 6 percent. Another 19 percent are undecided.
Fourteen candidates — seven from each party — are running for their party’s nomination for governor in the primary Tuesday.
The poll was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc. of Washington, D.C., from July 8 through July 13, and paid for by 13 daily newspapers with readership across Georgia. Researchers polled 625 likely voters on general questions and roughly 400 likely voters in the Democratic primary and 400 likely voters in the Republican primary on questions specific to the primary election. The telephone interviews were randomly selected and distributed across Georgia.
The poll shows Barnes with 54 percent of the Democratic vote, while his nearest challenger, Attorney General Thurbert Baker, has 20 percent. Former Georgia National Guard Commander David Poythress has 7 percent and House Minority Leader DuBose Porter has 3 percent. Another 16 percent are undecided.
On the Republican side, state insurance commissioner John Oxendine is the apparent leader with 31 percent of the vote to 23 percent for Karen Handel, the former secretary of state. Former congressman Nathan Deal gets 18 percent, and former state Sen. Eric Johnson is fourth with 6 percent. Another 19 percent are undecided.
Fourteen candidates — seven from each party — are running for their party’s nomination for governor in the primary Tuesday.
The poll was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc. of Washington, D.C., from July 8 through July 13, and paid for by 13 daily newspapers with readership across Georgia. Researchers polled 625 likely voters on general questions and roughly 400 likely voters in the Democratic primary and 400 likely voters in the Republican primary on questions specific to the primary election. The telephone interviews were randomly selected and distributed across Georgia.