Tea Party Express Poll Makes Debut
Tea Party Support Will Propel McDaniel Past Cochran for Mississippi Republican Senate Nomination
Sacramento, CA – Tea Party Express, the nation’s largest tea party political action committee, announced the creation of the Tea Party Express Poll to monitor key U.S. Senate and House races in 2014. The polls will be conducted by the nationally recognized polling company, NSON Opinion Strategy in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The first poll conducted measured support in the Republican Senate Primary in Mississippi. It found a close race developing between State Senator Chris McDaniel, a Tea Party favorite, and incumbent Senator Thad Cochran.
In the initial ballot test, Cochran led McDaniel 44.6% to 36.5% in a head to head matchup for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. Once voters become familiar with the support for McDaniel from the Tea Party Express and other Tea Party groups, McDaniel pulled into a narrow lead, 42.1% to 41.3%.
The statewide telephone survey conducted March 24-28 by NSON was of 400 likely primary voters.
Tea Party Express Chief Strategist Sal Russo said, “This poll validates the powerful impact of the Tea Party in national politics since the first impact was recognized in the Special Election upset victory of Scott Brown in Massachusetts in early 2010. Economic conservatives, driven by the grassroots Tea Party movement, are going to be a determining factor in electing Republicans. Voters are looking for fiscal conservatives willing to fight to reduce the size, cost and intrusiveness of the federal government with pro-growth policies that will boost the economy.
“The Tea Party endorsements are providing an important boost to McDaniel, who is still unknown to many voters. With 58% of the electorate yet to form an opinion on McDaniel, his opportunity to grow support remains high. McDaniel’s strength was also noted in the Rasmussen Poll earlier this week, showing McDaniel beating the Democratic frontrunner, Congressman Travis Childers 47%-35%,” Russo concluded.
Key survey question wording and results may be found below:
IF THE PRIMARY ELECTION FOR THE US SENATE WERE TO BE HELD TODAY AND THE CANDIDATES WERE AS FOLLOWS, FOR WHOM WOULD YOU VOTE? (REPUBLICAN PRIMARY VOTERS ONLY)
| State Senator Chris McDaniel | 36.5% |
| U.S. Senator Thad Cochran | 44.6% |
| Undecided | 18.8% |
IF YOU LEARNED THAT THE TEA PARTY EXPRESS AND OTHER TEA PARTY GROUPS WERE SUPPORTING CHRIS MCDANIEL, FOR WHOM WOULD YOU VOTE? (REPUBLICAN PRIMARY VOTERS ONLY)
| State Senator Chris McDaniel | 42.1% |
| U.S. Senator Thad Cochran | 41.3% |
| Undecided | 16.6% |
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORABLE OR UNFAVORABLE OPINION OF STATE SENATOR CHRIS MCDANIEL?
| Very Favorable | 13.0% |
| Somewhat Favorable | 16.0% |
| Somewhat Unfavorable | 5.3% |
| Very Unfavorable | 8.5% |
| No Opinion | 29.3% |
| Never Heard | 28.0% |