PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Republican gubernatorial candidate Christine Drazan has taken a two-point lead over Democratic nominee Tina Kotek, a new nonpartisan poll conducted by Emerson College shows.
The nonpartisan poll, published on Tuesday, states that 36% of Oregon voters are favoring Drazan in the election. Kotek is reportedly close behind, drawing support from 34% of polled voters. Unaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson trailed the poll with 19% of respondents giving her their support.
“Another independent nonpartisan poll shows we are leading Tina Kotek,” Drazan Tweeted in response to the poll. “Four straight surveys have us winning this race. The momentum is on our side. We will make history.”
Kotek, meanwhile, continues to focus on reasons why, she says, her opponents are wrong for Oregon.
“Christine Drazan is endorsed by Oregon’s [National Right to Life Committee], the same group that thinks the government should force a 10-year-old rape victim to remain pregnant,” Kotek shared on social media. “We cannot let her win.”
According to the poll, Drazan is popular with Oregon men, with 47% of male voters saying they favor Drazan. Twenty-seven percent of polled men said they would vote for Kotek. However, Kotek is the clear frontrunner among Oregon women, with 39% of female voter support. Drazan was supported by 26% of female respondents. Johnson received support from 23% of the women polled.
Executive Director of Emerson College Polling Spencer Kimbal noted a “plurality” of Independent voters in the poll. Of the 796 Oregon voters surveyed, 302 respondents said they were either registered Independents or affiliated with a different party — almost 38% of all polled voters. Democrats made up almost 36% of polled voters at 286. Registered Republicans, 208, made up the smallest political group, per the survey’s designated categories, with little more than 26% of polled voters claiming to be members of the GOP.
The poll also asked about each candidate’s favorability. Results show that 42% of Oregon voters have a favorable view of Drazan, while 41% gave her an unfavorable rating. Kotek received favorable reviews from 38% of voters. However, 50% of voters expressed an unfavorable view of the Democratic candidate. Johnson received 36% favorable responses and 49% unfavorable.
Despite vehement reactions from supporters on both sides of the argument, more than half of all polled voters said that the overturning of Roe v. Wade will not affect their likelihood to vote in November’s general election. Some 45% of polled voters said that they are either much more likely or somewhat more likely to vote following the decision.
Emerson College conducted the poll between Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, and says that the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4%.