After last week's primary election, a new voter poll shows Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster with a two-point lead in the gubernatorial race over GOP newcomer Eric Greitens.
UPDATED [4 p.m. August 9] - See update below.
A Remington Research Group poll of the presidential and statewide races in Missouri commissioned by Missouri Scout shows close battles throughout the ballot—with the exception of incumbent Sen. Roy Blunt, a Republican, leading Secretary of State Jason Kander, a Democrat, by seven percentage points in the U.S. Senate race.
While GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump trails Democrat Hillary Clinton in several national polls, he leads her 44-42 percent in Missouri. Libertarian Gary Johnson received 5 percent in the survey and Green Party candidate Jill Stein was at 2 percent. Seven percent of those contacted remained undecided.
See also: Things Donald Trump Has Said About St. Louis
In the race for U.S. Senate, Blunt leads Kander 47-40 percent with 7 percent of respondents remaining undecided. Libertarian candidate Jonathan Dine and Fred Ryman of the Constitution Party received 4 and 2 percent, respectively.
Update: The Kander campaign responded to our story with an important piece of context: Remington Research, the group commissioned to do the poll cited here, is founded by Republican political consultant Jeff Roe, who also worked on Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign. Two polls published before the primary election—from Mason-Dixon Polling & Research and Public Policy Polling—put the race between Kander and Blunt at a statistical tie. The original story continues below.
About 1,280 likely voters participated in the survey, conducted August 5 and 6. Remington weighted the survey to match expected demographic turnout in the 2016 general election—with a margin of error at +/- 3 percent—but the research group warns that the margin of error within specific demographics is “significantly higher due to smaller sample size.”
The race to replace Jay Nixon as Missouri’s governor is close after last week’s primaries. Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster holds a 45-43 percent lead over GOP newcomer Eric Greitens, according to the survey. Cisse Spragins of the Libertarian Party received 5 percent. Undecided voters comprise 8 percent of those contacted.
See also: Can Eric Greitens Become Missouri's Next Governor?
Former Congressman Russ Carnahan, a Democrat, leads Republican state Sen. Mike Parson 44-42 percent in the race for lieutenant governor. Nine percent of respondents have not selected a candidate, and Libertarian Steven Hedrick is at 4 percent.
In the Secretary of State contest, John “Jay” Ashcroft, son of former U.S. Attorney General and Gov. John Ashcroft, leads Democratic former TV news anchor Robin Smith 45-43 percent. Libertarian Chris Morrill is at 5 percent and 7 percent are undecided.
Republican Josh Hawley has a four-point lead on Democrat Teresa Hensley in the race for Attorney General at 48-44 percent, with 8 percent of respondents undecided.
The race for Treasurer shows the largest undecided factor: 11 percent. Former Republican state Sen. Eric Schmitt leads Democrat Judy Baker 43-40 percent with Sean O’Toole of the Libertarian Party at 6 percent.
