Poll: Richardson leads 2008 N.M. primary race

Bill Richardson is ahead in a 2008 New Mexico Democratic presidential primary poll, but is losing badly in all 7 other states surveyed.

The poll, conducted by American Research Group, had Richardson with 28 percent of the vote among “likely Democratic caucus goers” in New Mexico. Hillary Clinton had 22 percent, Brack Obama had 17 percent and John Edwards had 12 percent, with several other candidates in single digits.

The poll included 600 telephone interviews with 520 Democrats and 80 independents between Jan. 11 and 13, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

On the Republican side, New Mexicans picked Rudy Giuliani with 38 percent of the vote. John McCain had 20 percent, and several other candidates were in single digits.

That poll included 600 interviews with 563 Republicans and 37 independents on the same dates. It has the same margin of error.

The company conducted similar surveys in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Richardson’s next best showing was 3 percent in Illinois. He didn’t even register one percent in Michigan.