POLL: McDaniel/Cochran Dead Heat – Turn Out is Everything
Sacramento, CA – Tea Party Express, the nation’s largest tea party political action committee, is releasing the Tea Party Express poll, which finds State Senator Chris McDaniel in a dead heat with Senator Thad Cochran just days before the election. The nationally recognized polling company, NSON Opinion Strategy in Salt Lake City, Utah, conducted the poll.
A new statewide, live caller telephone survey conducted June 13-17 by NSON was of 400 likely Republican run-off voters and shows State Senator Chris McDaniel slightly trailing Senator Thad Cochran 44.5% to 44.0% with 11.5% undecided. The poll’s margin of error is +/- 4.9%.
Tea Party Express Chief Strategist Sal Russo said, “This poll shows a dead heat between Tea Party-supported State Senator Chris McDaniel and 42-year incumbent Senator Thad Cochran. With the election just days away, it’s going to be each campaign’s get-out-the-vote effort that tips the scale and makes all the difference. Tea Party supporters favor McDaniel 72.9% to 10.2% for Cochran, and the enthusiasm from the grassroots will be needed to push McDaniel over the top.
“You just need to look at the strategies employed by the two sides to see who has the momentum. Senator Cochran’s supporters are hiring Democrats to turn out liberal voters in a desperate attempt to salvage his sinking campaign. In contrast, we are launching a 3-day statewide get-out-the-vote bus tour that will drive home the message: ‘It’s time for the next generation of conservative leadership and that means electing Senator Chris McDaniel on June 24th.’
“We believe grassroots conservatives, not Democrats, will decide this election. The success or failure of either side to appeal to the 11.5% undecided voters in our poll will make the difference on Tuesday. We are confident in our strategy, as it has been effective in races across the country—including the hotly contested 2012 Texas run-off where Ted Cruz won in commanding fashion,” Russo concluded.
Survey question wording and results may be found below:
IF THE RUN-OFF ELECTION FOR US SENATE WERE TO BE HELD TODAY AND THE CANDIDATES WERE AS FOLLOWS, FOR WHOM WOULD YOU VOTE? (REPUBLICAN RUN-OFF VOTERS ONLY)
| State Senator Chris McDaniel | 44.0 % |
| US Senator Thad Cochran | 44.5 % |
| Undecided | 11.5 % |