According to The Washington Examiner, a new poll indicates that Alabama’s senate race could come down to a photo finish. The poll has Roy Moore leading Luther Strange by only one percentage point, 41 percent to 40 percent.
Previous polls have shown Moore with a more larger lead. The RealClearPolitics average shows Moore on top with 44.4 percent, compared to Strange’s 33.4 percent.
This new poll was produced by Republican pollster Jan van Lohuizen on behalf of the Senate Leadership Fund. The Senate Leadership Fund, who is backing Strange. According to Lohuizen, “In just over a month’s time, the gap between Moore and Strange has shrunk from 6.1 points (Moore’s margin over Strange in the August 15thprimary election) to a virtual dead heat,” the pollster said.
According to a memo released regarding the poll, its methodology is as follows:
“The survey was conducted by telephone on 9/9 and 9/10/2017. We interviewed 604 GOP primary voters; the voters were selected randomly from a voter file consisting of people with a history of voting in Republican primaries. The margin of error associated with these findings is +/- 4 percent.”
Many anti-establishment activists hope to make major waves in the 2018 election cycle, including former Trump advisor Steve Bannon. Bannon, who recently endorsed Moore in the Senate race, has vowed to wage war against establishment candidates, which he perceives Strange to be because of Strange’s backing from the SLF. It seems Alabama has become the first front of that war.
A group Bannon is associated with—Great America Alliance—has reportedly purchased heavy advertising time on ESPN 2 to run ads during the University of Alabama Football game on Saturday. The group has already unveiled a scathing new ad, likening Strange to the “disgraced former Governor Robert Bentley.”
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Meanwhile, Strange supporters hope that his endorsement from President Trump is enough to gain an advantage. According to the Senate Leadership Fund, President Trump still has an 83 percent favorability rating among Republican primary voters.
Lohuizen said that in the poll they “saw a substantial change in the image ratings for Roy Moore. Thirty-nine percent now have an unfavorable impression of Moore, an increase of 8 percent compared to 2 weeks ago, while favorable impressions declined by 5 percent (from 59 percent to 54 percent).”
The Republican party runoff is scheduled for September 26.
