Posted on 06/16/2010 8:13:47 AM PDT by iowamark
Republican Terry Branstad appears well on his way at this point to an unprecedented fifth term as governor of Iowa.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Iowa shows Branstad earning 57% support, while his Democratic opponent, current Governor Chet Culver, gets 31% of the vote. Six percent (6%) prefer some other candidate in the race, and six percent (6%) more remain undecided.
This is Branstad’s best showing and Culver’s worst in surveys going back to last September. In late April, Branstad posted a 53% to 38% lead over Culver.
In the previous surveys, the Republican’s support has fallen in the narrow range of 52% to 54%. Culver has earned 34% to 38% of the vote in that same period.
Branstad, who served as governor from 1983 to 1999, won a three-way GOP Primary contest last week with 50% of the vote. Culver, first elected governor in 2006 with 54% of the vote, was unchallenged in his own party.
It is not unusual for the winner of a contested primary to receive a bounce in the polls following their victory.
Forty-one percent (41%) now approve of the job Culver is doing as governor, while 58% disapprove. This is in line with findings in the previous surveys.
The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Iowa was conducted on June 14, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
Fifty-three percent (53%) of Iowa voters favor repeal of the national health care plan, but 43% oppose repeal. This includes 38% who Strongly Favor repeal and 31% who Strongly Oppose it. Support for repeal in Iowa is slightly lower than it is nationally.
Eighty-four percent (84%) of those who Strongly Favor repeal support Branstad. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of voters who Strongly Oppose repeal favor Culver.
Forty-nine percent (49%) of Iowa voters support passage of an immigration law like Arizona’s in their state, again lower than support nationally, while 33% oppose such a law. Eighteen percent (18%) are undecided.
Branstad earns 73% support from those who favor a law like Arizona’s in Iowa. Sixty-two percent (62%) of Iowa voters who oppose an Arizona-like law back Culver.
However, 68% of voters in the state agree with one of the chief requirements of the new Arizona law, that local police must check the immigration status of anyone they stop for a traffic violation or some other kind of violation if they suspect the person is an illegal immigrant. Twenty-two percent (22%) oppose that requirement.
Branstad is now viewed Very Favorably by 27% of Iowa voters and Very Unfavorably by 15%.
Fifteen percent (15%) have a Very Favorable opinion of Culver, while 31% view him Very Unfavorably.
Both candidates are well-known in the state, but at this point in a campaign, Rasmussen Reports considers the number of people with a strong opinion more significant than the total favorable/unfavorable numbers.
In 2008, Rasmussen Reports projected nationally that Barack Obama would defeat John McCain by a 52% to 46% margin. Obama won 53% to 46%. Four years earlier, Rasmussen Reports projected the national vote totals for both George W. Bush and John Kerry within half-a-percentage-point.
In Iowa during the 2008 campaign, Rasmussen Reports polling showed Obama leading McCain by eight, 52% to 44%. Obama won by nine, 54% to 45%. Other Iowa polling that year showed Senator Tom Harkin defeating Christopher Reed 57% to 41%. Harkin won 63% to 37%.
In the 2006 race for governor of Iowa, Rasmussen polling showed Culver leading Jim Nussle 49% to 45%. Culver won 54% to 44%. In 2004, the final Rasmussen Reports poll in Iowa showed Bush and Kerry tied at 48%. The final numbers were Bush 50%, Kerry 49%.
Rasmussen Reports also has released recent polls on the 2010 governor's races in Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
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Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, has been an independent pollster for more than a decade.
The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Iowa was conducted on June 14, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC.
GO TERRY GO!!!!
Branstad was certainly not the most conservative governor, but he was infinitely better than his successors Vilsack and Culver.
Is he for the repeal of homosexual “marriage”?
Yes, homosexual marriage will be a key issue in the campaigns for both Governor and the Legislature. Democrats who control the Legislature have blocked a referendum on the issue because they know that they will lose.
The Iowa SC must be quite liberal?
Unanimously voted for homosexual marriage, claimed one man, one woman marriage violated equal protection clause. Of course, the exact same logic would legalize polygamy and group marriage. That will be next.
Rothengerg and Cook still show Iowa as a Tossup!?!?!?!
Also have NM as a likely Dem When Rass shows Martinez ahead!
Personally, I believe the window of opportunity to get a marriage amendment is closing and it absolutely will not happen without solid Republican majorities in both houses. This means EVERYONE MUST vote a straight Republican ticket.
Three of the judges who overturned DOMA are up for retention on the ballot. They must also be voted out of office.
Sounds like Culver has alot of illegal intruders who work in the meat packing industries in Iowa trying to support him & trying to vote for him.
Culver’s in for a good old-fashioned ass whooping, and I can’t think of a more deserving recipient.
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