Fox News Poll: Kemp shows wider lead over Perdue in GOP primary race for governor
Gov. Brian Kemp and former US Senator David Perdue are vying for the Republican nomination for Georgia governor in 2022. (Georgia Office of Governor / US Congress)
ATLANTA - A new Fox News Poll shows Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp now with an 11 point lead over former Sen. David Perdue in the race for the GOP nomination for governor.
The poll that surveyed Republican primary voters in Georgia was released on Tuesday.
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The poll has Kemp sitting with 50% and Perdue with 39% despite receiving the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. The remaining 10% said they were unsure or would vote for someone else such as educator Kandiss Taylor.
How does support for former President Donald Trump play into the Georgia gubernatorial race?
Nearly 80% of Republican primary voters have a favorable view of Trump with the remainder having a negative view of the former president.
Among those that still favor the former president, 52% support Perdue while 39% supports Kemp. On the opposite end of the favorability spectrum for Trump, 70% said they would vote for Kemp and only 15% would vote for Perdue.
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Among Republican primary voters who have a strongly favorable opinion of Trump, 87% plan to definitely vote in the May 24 primary and 65% are extremely interested in the election.
How much interest is there in the Georgia Republican primary?
More than 80% of those polls were highly engaged in this election with 54% saying they were extremely and 28% saying they were very interested in the race. Those with the highest interest in the race break for Perdue by 7 points (49% Perdue-42% Kemp).
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Kemp leads in most demographics, but are split among conservative voters (45% Kemp vs. 45% Perdue), White evangelical Christians (47%-44%), and rural voters (45%-45%).
"There is more energy and interest in the election among voters who are favorable towards Trump, but that does not appear to be enough to propel Perdue to victory," says Democrat Chris Anderson who conducts the Fox News poll with Republican Daron Shaw. "The problem for Perdue, and Trump, is that Kemp remains broadly popular. Trump is more popular, but he has not been able to leverage his standing to diminish Kemp’s."
Who is leading in the US Senate Republican primary race in Georgia?
The picture in the Republican primary for U.S. Senator is clearer: Herschel Walker, 1982 Heisman trophy-winning running back from the University of Georgia, is far ahead of his opponents with 66% support. Current Agriculture Commissioner of Georgia, Gary Black, comes in a distant second at 8%, and all other candidates receiving 6% combined. Sixteen percent are unsure.
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"When you look at the issues and the vote preferences, there is a slight wrinkle in Georgia: Republican primary voters are focused on the economy and immigration, which should benefit candidates from the Trump wing of the party," says Shaw. "And you see this with Walker, but Kemp -- so far -- is holding off Perdue in the gubernatorial contest."
How does this latest poll compare to previous polls?
This is the first major poll to show the incumbent governor garnering 50% of support since former Rep. Vernon Jones withdrew from the race. In a poll conducted by The Trafalgar Group in mid-February, Kemp was polling at 49% with Perdue trailing at 40% and an InsiderAdvantage Poll last week showed Perdue having a 44% lead over Perdue’s 35%.
Meanwhile, in the US Senate race, this is the third poll where Walker was the only candidate polling in double digits. HIs lead in the The Trafalgar Group poll was at 69.9% and in the InsiderAdvantage Poll, he was pulling a 62%.
There are two months until Georgians head to the polls for the primaries.
GET A FULL BREAKDOWN OF THE POLL AT FOX.COM
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Fox News contributed to this report