On behalf of the blog ZPolitics, the conservative pollster Clout Research is out with its second survey of the April 18 all-party primary for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District. The numbers are below, with the results of their February poll in parenthesis:
Investigative documentary maker Jon Ossoff (D): 41 (32)
Ex-Secretary of State Karen Handel (R): 16 (25)
Businessman Bob Gray (R): 16 (11)
State Sen. Judson Hill (R): 9 (9)
Ex-state Sen. Dan Moody (R): 5 (2)
Ex-state Sen. Ron Slotin (D): 3 (not tested in February)
Certified public accountant David Abroms (R): 2 (not tested in February)
Businessman Bruce LeVell (R): 1 (1)
In the likely event that no one takes a majority of the vote in April, the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will advance to a June runoff. According to this poll, Jon Ossoff looks very well-positioned to reach the runoff, while Karen Handel’s stock has dropped a bit. By contrast, rich guy Bob Gray, a Trump supporter who literally attempted to drain a swamp in one of his ads, could edge out Handel for the second runoff spot.
But there’s one number Democrats will very much like.
Back in February, Clout showed the GOP field taking a combined 48 percent of the vote, while Ossoff grabbed 31. In their March poll, the GOP still takes 48 percent while Ossoff and fellow Democrat Ron Slotin take a combined 44 percent. This seat has been Republican for decades, but it swung from 61-38 Romney to just 48-47 Trump. The April electorate will be different from the June electorate, but this survey at least indicates that more voters are keen to support the Democrats now than they were a short time ago.
There are a few big caveats. Not many groups have surveyed this race, and it’s never a good idea to rely on one pollster. Clout Research, formally known as Wenzel Strategies, does not have a good record, and Clout has also displayed some strange habits in the past. This poll gives Ossoff some potentially good numbers, but we have a long way to go before the April primary, much less the June runoff.
Let's flip this seat and give Trump and his allies a message they can't ignore. Please chip in $3 to Jon Ossoff's campaign today.