According to new polling data from the Auburn University at Montgomery‘s Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Jerry Carl is leading his opponent Barry Moore by eight points ahead of the March 5th Republican primary election for Alabama’s First Congressional District.
The data, which was also in conjunction with the Survey Research Center at the University of Georgia, found that of those who responded, 43% planned to vote for Carl while 35 percent planned to vote for Moore with another 22% undecided.
The poll indicates a key component to Carl’s edge is advantage in retained voters as compared to Moore, which offers some insight into how the untested district lines will favor either of the sitting members of Alabama’s congressional delegation.
While 18% of respondents from Carl’s former district plan to vote for Moore, 17% of respondents from Moore’s old district plan to vote for Carl — outcomes that are largely off-setting.
David Hughes, associate professor of political science at AUM and director of the AUM Poll, spoke on both candidates and why the poll results are as they are right now.
“Respondents certainly view Carl as the more moderate, more mainstream candidate in this race, and that perception is helping to sort voters into either his or Moore’s camp,” Hughes said.
51% of survey respondents who said that U.S. funding to Ukraine was “about the right amount” supported Carl compared to only 25% who supported Moore, which was good for a 26-point difference.
The poll, for which the data was gathered on February 27th, contained a sample of 1,909 likely Republican voters for the March 5 primary out of a total of 91,642 individuals contacted for a 2.1% response rate.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP
