Campaign

Buchanan OK, but NRCC pollster says GOP struggling

by Aaron Blake - 10/14/08 6:47 PM ET

GOP pollster Glen Bolger says Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) continues to hold a lead in his rematch with Democrat Christine Jennings, but he can’t say the same for Buchanan’s colleagues in the GOP.

In a memo for a National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) poll showing the incumbent leading 52-32, the Public Opinion Strategies partner said Buchanan’s strength is the exception in the Republican Party just three weeks from the 2008 election.

“Vern Buchanan continues to buck the national trend and improve his standing on the ballot while other Republicans see their numbers decline,” Bolger said in the memo.

{mosads}Polling around the country is beginning to trend toward Democrats in a cycle where they had already been on the offensive.

The Public Opinion Strategies poll was conducted Friday, just a week after Bolger’s poll found Buchanan up 46-30.

2024 Election Coverage

In both polls, independent and former Democratic nominee Jan Schneider takes 8 percent.

Jennings spokeswoman Melissa Smith noted her campaign’s late-September poll showing the race within four points.

“This latest poll is yet another attempt by Rep. Buchanan to mislead people into thinking that he is far ahead of Christine Jennings in this race,” Smith said.

Tags