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US Vote race:
McCain holds steady lead in South Carolina
Republican John McCain holds a steady 7-point lead over rival Mike
Huckabee in South Carolina two days before the state casts votes in an
unpredictable presidential nominating race, according to a
Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Thursday.
Support for McCain, an Arizona senator, held firm overnight at 29
percent, with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee sliding one point to 23
percent. Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson climbed two points to move
into third place at 14 percent.
A portion of the polling was conducted after former Massachusetts
Gov. Mitt Romney’s breakthrough win in Michigan on Tuesday, but he still
slipped one point to 12 percent. Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former New York
Mayor Rudy Giuliani were tied at 5 percent.
“Essentially there was no real movement overnight in what looks like
a very stable race,” said pollster John Zogby. “I was looking for a sign
of a Romney bounce after Michigan and didn’t get it,” he said.
“He may have to wait another 24 hours before there are signs, but it
seems reasonable he would get one.”
The rolling tracking poll of 813 likely voters in South Carolina’s
Republican primary had a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points.
South Carolina’s Republican primary on Saturday is the next
battleground as both parties choose candidates for November’s election.
Washington, Thursday, Reuters |
