Voters in Alabama were not impacted by President Donald Trump’s endorsement and campaign for Luther Strange and remain likely to nominate conservative candidate Judge Roy Moore, according to polling data obtained by the Wall Street Journal.
The poll, conducted by Georgia-based The Trafalgar Group, found that 57 percent of likely Republican voters plan to support Judge Roy Moore, while just 41 percent intend to vote for the establishment-backed candidate, Luther Strange.
This 16-point lead is far higher than Moore’s current RealClearPolitics average lead of 8.8 percent, suggesting he might be experiencing a late surge in popularity.
Meanwhile, both candidates overwhelmingly approve of Donald Trump’s job so far in office, with 90 percent of Strange’s supporters and 75 percent of Moore’s supporters signaling their approval.
This latest polling suggests that likely voters were not swayed by Donald Trump’s speech in Alabama last Friday, where he endorsed Luther Strange, declaring that Strange was determined to “drain the Swamp” and was more likely to win the Senate election than Moore.
However, Trump did admit he “might have made a mistake” in endorsing Strange’s candidacy.
“My ending conclusion is when the candidate’s credentials and background match what made you like the president, the president’s words don’t change your mind on a candidate,” said Robert C. Cahaly, a pollster with The Trafalgar Group. “They like the president, and the [sic] support the president, they just think he’s wrong on this. They see Moore as their guy.”
The survey took place on Saturday and Sunday with 1,073 likely primary voters. It had a margin of error of +/- 2.98.
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