Maine news, sports, weather | Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine

Poll suggests gov primaries 'wide open'

By Matt Wickenheiser mwickenheiser@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

PORTLAND — A new poll out this afternoon suggests both Republican and Democratic primaries are “wide open” because a large amount of voters remain undecided as to whom they will vote for – a week away from the election.

According to the Pan Atlantic SMS Group Omnibus Poll, 61.7 percent of registered Democrats polled said they were undecided. On the Republican side, 47 percent came in as undecided.

The poll had 13.3 percent of Democrats voting for or leaning toward Elizabeth Mitchell, followed by Steve Rowe at 11.7 percent, Rosa Scarcelli at 7 percent and Patrick McGowan at 6.3 percent.

For Republicans, 17 percent were voting for or leaning toward Les Otten, followed by Paul LePage at 10.3 percent, Peter Mills at 8.4 percent, Steve Abbott at 8.3 percent, Bill Beardsley at 3.6 percent, Bruce Poliquin at 3.3 percent and Matt Jacobson at 2 percent. Pollster Patrick Murphy noted in the poll that “the high ‘undecided factor’ is probably attributable to widespread lack of voter awareness of the candidates and their positions on key issues.” Both races are “wide open,” Murphy noted.

“The two likely victors are those who can best ‘close the sale’ with voters in the final week and have the most effective (get out the vote) organizations,” he wrote.

The poll was a random sample of 600 likely Maine voters, 300 Democrats and 300 Republicans, interviewed by telephone. They were interviewed between May 21 and May 29. The poll had a 5.7 percent margin of error at the 95 percent confidence level, meaning if the survey were repeated, 95 times out of 100 the results would reflect the results within a plus/minus percent margin of error.