Former Assistant Veterans Affairs Secretary Tammy Duckworth “is in a dominant position to win the Democratic nomination for the Eighth Congressional District,” according to a poll conducted between Jan. 10 and 12 by the firm of Normington Petts.
Duckworth leads former Illinois Deputy Treasurer Raja Krishnamoorthi 59 percent to 17 percent. Her name recognition is 83 percent, and her favorable-unfavorable rating is 67 percent to 7 percent. The poll of 400 voters has a 4.9 percent margin of error.
“Duckworth is extremely well-positioned to win in March and pick up this seat for the Democrats in the general election against Tea Partier Joe Walsh,” Normington Petts partner Jill Normington wrote in a press release.
Asked which candidate has the best chance to beat 8th District Rep. Joe Walsh in November, 65 percent say Duckworth. Only 13 percent say Krishnamoorthi.
"I’ve never seen anyone overcome a 42-point deficit this late in the race,” said David Axelrod, who is back in Chicago to run the campaign of Duckworth’s former boss, Barack Obama.
Krishnamoorthi’s deputy campaign manager, Mike Murray, had this to say about the poll results:
“If polls two months out predicted elections, Hillary Clinton would be the President, and Rick Perry would be the Republican nominee. Leaders in our district have overwhelmingly endorsed Raja as their choice and I’m confident that when voters get the chance to hear from both candidates, they’ll make Raja their nominee. Raja is the only candidate in this race with the economic experience and a detailed plan to turn our economy around by helping to create jobs for the middle class.”
Read Ward Room’s Q&As with Duckworth and Krishnamoorthi and make up your own mind.
Buy this book! Ward Room blogger Edward McClelland's book, Young Mr. Obama: Chicago and the Making of a Black President, is available on Amazon. Young Mr. Obama includes reporting on President Obama's earliest days in the Windy City, covering how a presumptuous young man transformed himself into presidential material. Buy it now!
