Campaign

Kilpatrick in trouble, new poll shows

by Michael O’Brien - 07/30/08 6:28 PM ET

A new poll shows embattled incumbent Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick (D) struggling in her efforts to fend off primary challenges from state Sen. Martha Scott and former state Rep. Mary Waters.

An EPIC/MRA poll conducted for The Detroit News and WXYZ-TV from July 27-28 showed Kilpatrick with only 33 percent of voters’ support, while Waters stood at 29 percent and Scott was at 24 percent. The poll has a 4.9 percent margin of error.

{mosads}The six-term congresswoman, who won reelection in 2006 with virtually 100 percent of the vote, had a 45 percent favorable rating and a 41 percent unfavorable rating. Similar numbers of voters said they viewed Scott and Waters favorably.

“The numbers are not consistent with the numbers we’re getting in our daily tracking poll,” said Kilpatrick spokesman Bill McConico, who added that Kilpatrick has been ahead in every single poll in the race.

Kilpatrick’s son, indicted Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (D), had a 67 percent unfavorable rating in the poll.

Waters spokesman Sam Riddle said a “perfect political storm” was gathering around Kilpatrick. “It’s strength of message versus strength of pocketbook,” he said, noting Kilpatrick’s heavy financial advantage in the race.

Michael Wells, the Scott campaign’s spokesman, said their position will only improve as the campaign airs its first ads this weekend.

“We feel that [Waters] might have peaked already, and we might get a bump once our ads run,” he said.

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Riddle and Wells both indicated that the campaigns would begin new ad campaigns with biographical spots on network and cable news channels this weekend.

Kilpatrick heavily outraised both Waters and Scott in the pre-primary filing period, and her race has attracted national political figures to campaign for her.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visited Kilpatrick’s Detroit district last Friday to support the incumbent, and McConico said Reps. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.) and James Clyburn (D-S.C.) would be in the district campaigning for her this weekend.

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