New Poll: Edwards 48%, Rispone 46%
A Gray Television poll puts Governor Edwards ahead of Eddie Rispone 48-46% with five days until voters hit the polls for the run-off.
Only six percent of voters remain undecided, a number LSU Poli Sci Professor Robert Hogan says is remarkably low for a major statewide election.
“This is a very close election and you have very few undecided voters out there. A lot of people, not only have they decided to vote, they’ve already voted,” says Hogan.
490,000 voters cast ballots in the early voting period, a record for a non-Presidential election.
The poll shows a nine-point gender gap between Rispone and Edwards when it comes to women, and a seven-point gap in favor of Rispone among men. Hogan says expect that split to remain.
“This kind of thing is probably likely to be exacerbated if Trump comes down, a polarizing figure in American politics that will make that differential remain consistent in this race,”
39% of white voters approve of the job the Governor is doing, but only 28% say they plan to vote for him. Hogan says the Democratic Edwards is running into major partisan opposition.
“Especially among white voters, he is going to have to get them to vote against their partisanship. White voters are much more likely to be Republican,” says Hogan.
88% of black voters approve of Edwards’ tenure.