Des Moines Register – Iowa Poll: Terry Branstad leads Chet Culver by 19 points in governor race

A new Des Moines Register Iowa Poll shows Republican Terry Branstad leads incumbent Gov. Chet Culver by 19 percentage points.

Branstad, a four-term former governor, leads Culver, a first-term Democrat, 52 percent to 33 percent.

Culver is not alone nationally as a Democratic governor battling to stay in office. But Democratic pollsters say Culver’s unique challenge of facing a harsh economic climate and a well-known challenger makes a potential turnaround very difficult in the five weeks before Nov. 2.

Branstad attracts broad support, leading in nearly all but the most Democratic-performing demographic groups.

He leads with voters from communities of all sizes, in all congressional districts and from all age groups and income levels.

Voters who describe themselves as politically independent, the state’s largest bloc of registered voters, prefer Branstad to Culver 46 percent to 27 percent.

The poll of 803 Iowa adults, conducted by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines from Sept. 19 to 22, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Questions asked of 550 likely Iowa voters have a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.

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