Harry Teague has a 22-point lead over Bill McCamley in the 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary, according to a poll released by Teague’s campaign today.
Teague’s automated phone survey, conducted by Winning Connections, had him up 36 percent to 14 percent, with 50 percent still undecided.
That’s in contrast to a March poll the McCamley campaign released that gave him a 21-point lead over Teague. Since then, Teague has infused his campaign with his own cash and flooded the 2nd District airwaves with television ads, while McCamley has run none. McCamley’s survey had 35 percent undecided.
You can read the company memo about Teague’s poll by clicking here.
The survey of 420 likely Democratic primary voters was conducted May 7, according to the memo, but a margin of error wasn’t included. Teague, according to the poll, maintained his lead when respondents were asked if they were certain of their choice. Some 28 percent said they are certain they’ll support Teague, while 11 percent said they are certain they’ll support McCamley.
The memo says the poll is notable for the large number of undecideds and for Teague’s large lead among those who are decided.
Winning Connections isn’t a well-known opinion-polling company, according to a post at New Mexico FBIHOP. A veteran pollster raises questions about Teague’s poll in that site’s article, which you can read by clicking here.
Meanwhile, the Teague campaign announced today the endorsement of the American Federation of Teachers.
“We are looking for champions of our schools and our educational employees… We want our candidates to refuse to let issues like public education and health care fall off the state agenda,” said AFT President Christine Trujillo in a news release explaining the group’s endorsement of Teague. “We want them to lead the charge for working people and advocate for better policies that result in better and more secure jobs, a stronger tax base and economic growth that benefits employees as well as corporations.”
“I have always believed that our children need a great education,” Teague said in the release. “That’s one reason why I’ve always supported local schools and provided my employees’ children with college scholarships.
The union has more than 8,500 members in
Update, 11:10 a.m.
McCamley campaign spokesman Michael Ward released this statement:
“Winning Connections is a good phoning firm, but they do not conduct polls. Anyone who looks at their Web site will see nowhere do they mention polling as an activity they perform,” he said. “I’m not sure why Mr. Teague thinks he needs to make this bizarre assertion about their robo-dial ID calls being a ‘poll.’ The Teague campaign’s claims that their automated calls are a poll is a little like the Bush administration claiming that a handful of giveaways to ExxonMobil is an ‘energy policy.’”
As I’ve disclosed in the past, I’m friends with McCamley. Click here to learn more about that.