Politics

Could Georgia turn blue?

Alexis Levinson Political Reporter
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Democrats might have a shot at turning Georgia blue.

In a poll released Tuesday by liberal polling firm Public Policy Polling, Democratic candidate Michelle Nunn, the daughter of former Sen. Sam Nunn, beats or ties the multiple Republican candidates facing off in a crowded primary.

Republican Rep. Phil Gingrey and businessman David Perdue are the strongest candidates against Nunn in this early poll. Gingrey ties Nunn 41 percent to 41 percent, and Perdue ties her 40 percent to 40 percent. Rep. Jack Kingston and former Georgia secretary of state both narrowly trail 38 percent to 40 percent. Nunn leads Rep. Paul Broun 41 percent to 36 percent, and Minister Derrick Grayson 42 percent to 36 percent. Businessman Eugene Yu trails Nunn 35 percent to 42 percent.

Nunn, the former CEO of Points of Light, is also the only candidate with a net favorable rating from voters — all the Republicans candidates have a net negative favorability rating. Georgians are not hugely familiar with any of the candidates, however: 48 percent or more say they do not know how they feel about each candidate. They do feel strongly favorable toward Nunn’s father, with 56 percent saying they hold a favorable opinion of the former Senator and 12 percent holding an unfavorable opinion.

In a poll of 260 usual Republican primary voters, Gingrey is the top choice for a nominee in the crowded primary, getting 25 percent. Broun gets 19 percent, followed by Kingston at 15 percent and Handel at 13 percent. None of the other candidates crack double digits. This part of the poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 6.1 percentage points.

The candidates are vying to fill the Senate seat that Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss will vacate at the end of his term. The poll surveyed 520 Georgia voters from August 2 through August 4. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.

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