Poll: David Garcia has big lead in Democratic race for Arizona governor
Jul 2, 2018, 1:14 PM
PHOENIX – Education professor David Garcia is in command in the race to be the Democratic candidate for governor in Arizona, according to a poll released Monday.
Data Orbital asked likely Democratic voters whom they would vote for if the gubernatorial primary were held today, and 33.3 percent picked Garcia.
State Sen. Steve Farley was the choice of 10.7 percent, and 5.8 percent went for nonprofit CEO and former minister Kelly Fryer.
However, there was plenty of room for the race to shift, with 49 percent saying they were undecided and 1.2 percent refusing to answer.
The polling was conducted via phone calls June 19-21.
Garcia was the Democratic nominee for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2014 but lost in the general election to Diane Douglas.
The winner of the Democratic primary would likely face an incumbent whose support appears to be shaky.
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According to an NBC News/Marist poll released last week, 59 percent of Arizonans thought Gov. Doug Ducey did not deserve to be re-elected. Only 26 percent thought he should get a second term.
The Data Orbital poll also looked at the Democratic race for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Jeff Flake, and, unsurprisingly, U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema had a huge advantage over her lone opponent.
Sinema was the choice of 62.6 percent of those surveyed, while Deedra Abboud was only favored by 6.5 percent.
Democrats surveyed had a positive view of Sinema, with 35.9 percent saying their view of her was strongly favorable and 22.7 percent saying somewhat favorable. Only 8.5 percent selected strongly or somewhat unfavorable.
According two recent polls, Sinema had a lead in head-to-head matchups against any of the potential Republican nominees.
In a CBS News poll, Sinema topped former state Sen. Kelli Ward, 43 percent to 35 percent; U.S. Rep. Martha McSally 41 percent to 34 percent and former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, 45 percent to 28 percent. An NBC poll showed similar results.
