Neal ahead of Hagan in Survey USA poll
I'm in Davidson with the Neal campaign right now. I just sent this to our night desk:
DAVIDSON, N.C. -- A poll released Tuesday by Survey USA shows Chapel Hill investment banker Jim Neal leading Greensboro state Sen. Kay Hagan for the first time in the campaign.Hagan and Neal have beening running since late fall and Hagan has consistently out-polled Neal.
In the latest poll, 21 percent of respondents said they favored Neal to Hagan's 19 percent. More than 44 percent of people are undecided.
"It indicates there's a shift," Neal said when asked about the poll. "There's an undercurrent that's starting to take hold."
Neal credits his showing to an aggressive grassroots campaign.
Click here to see the poll in question.
Update: Okay, a few things I wasn't able to get out earlier:
- * The Hagan campaign had no comment on this.
- * Survey USA uses the automated response type of polling, and so is viewed with skepticism by some.
- * PPP's Tom Jensen (who uses similar polling methods) writes about his own skepticism here.
Whether you buy into the specific numbers or not - recent history gives us reason to be skeptical - the Neal campaign is taking this poll as a good sign. I'll be looking to see if this result is replicated anywhere.