AUSTIN — A new poll blasted as deeply flawed by some candidates in the 2010 governor's race shows that incumbent Rick Perry holds a 12-point lead over Republican primary challenger Kay Bailey Hutchison and that author-entertainer Kinky Friedman is the front-runner among Democrats.
Perry had 42 percent compared with 30 percent for Hutchison, the state's senior U.S. senator, among likely voters in the March 2 primary, according to the inaugural University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll. Former Wharton County Republican Chairwoman Debra Medina had 7 percent.
Among Democrats, Friedman led with 19 percent. Next were Fort Worth attorney Tom Schieffer with 10 percent; former Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, who is considering joining the race, with 5 percent; and Mark Thompson, who ended his candidacy Monday, with 3 percent.
Rounding out the field were Fort Worth educator Felix Alvarado, with 2 percent, and Whitehouse rancher Hank Gilbert, with 0.3 percent.
For a hypothetical special election for Hutchison's Senate seat, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Houston Mayor Bill White and former Comptroller John Sharp were in a three-way tie within the survey's margin of error.
The survey helped launch the Tribune, a nonprofit online news publication. But as candidates digested the results, Hutchison's and Gilbert's campaigns assailed the methodology and said the results were seriously flawed.
To read the complete article, visit www.star-telegram.com.
Comments