The latest polls show the three major contenders for the Republican nomination for governor are running neck and neck but a veteran political analyst isn’t sure the figures are very useful.
Al Cross is director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky.
Cross appeared Sunday on KET’s One to One with Bill Goodman to discuss Tuesday’s primary election.
“Well, here’s the thing about polling in a primary that’s going to have a very low turnout. Most of the people you poll aren’t ‘gonna vote. You know, you use the usual screening question. Do you plan to vote in the Republican primary on May 19th? Most people will say yes. That averages 70 to 80 percent. People want to be seen as being civically active. They probably intend to vote but they just, you know, forget about it, have something else to do, (it’s) not that important”
Cross says the outcome hinges on which candidate’s organization is best at turning out the vote. The candidates virtually tied at the top of the polls are Hal Heiner, James Comer and Matt Bevin, with Will T. Scott running a distant fourth.
