STRAYHORN INTERNAL POLLING SHOWS DRAMATIC TIGHTENING IN RECENT DAYS

From QuorumReport.com

STRAYHORN INTERNAL POLLING SHOWS
DRAMATIC TIGHTENING IN RECENT DAYS

Perry campaign questions credibility of poll

Carole Keeton Strayhorn has pulled within seven points of Gov. Rick Perry and has solidified her position in second place, according to internal polling data released by the Strayhorn campaign.

Perry polled 34.9 percent with Strayhorn at 28 percent. Kinky Friedman, meanwhile, held a slight lead over Chris Bell, 15.4 percent to 15.1 percent. Another 6.6 percent were undecided.

The phone poll of 800 likely voters was conducted earlier this week by McLaughlin & Associates. The poll’s margin of error was 3.5 percent, said Strayhorn spokesman Mark Sanders.

Perry campaign spokesman Robert Black blasted the internal polling numbers as unreliable. "The first sure sign that a campaign is going in the tank is when they start releasing phony poll numbers to try and convince voters they’re still relevant," he said. "Another sign that their campaign is flattening is when they leave up their latest attack ad a week before putting up warm and fuzzy ads."

According to Sanders, the poll is significant because it shows Strayhorn gaining ground while support for Perry slips. He said their previous polling showed Perry at 40.4 percent and Strayhorn at 20 percent.

Strayhorn’s poll mirrors the Texans for Insurance Reform PAC poll released earlier this week, which likewise showed support for Perry dropping from above 40 percent to the mid-30s. That poll showed Strayhorn’s support moving upward significantly from the mid-teens to almost 20 percent.