Poll gives noncandidate Ducey the lead in Arizona GOP Senate race

PHOENIX – A new poll of Arizona voters finds that if Gov. Doug Ducey were running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, he would be leading the race.

OH Predictive Insights’ poll, released Tuesday, showed Ducey would be ahead of front-runner Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, 35%-13%.

The poll also showed that more voters said they were likely to choose incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly over the GOP candidate, whoever it is, 42%-38%. Only 19% were unsure whom they would pick.

Without Ducey as competition, Brnovich tops the GOP field at 25%. Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael McGuire, former head of the Arizona National Guard, follows at 11%. Remaining candidates Jim Lamon, Blake Masters and Justin Olson each only have single digits.

“[Ducey] would absolutely shake up the race. … He would start in a strong position,” Mike Noble, chief researcher for the Phoenix-based pollsters told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show.

Ducey’s time as governor ends in January 2023, due to term limits. He has said repeatedly in the past year he will not run for the Senate seat held by Democrat Mark Kelly.

“A lot of us have heard talk of Gov. Ducey … [being] recruited by Republican Leadership and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who would like to be majority leader after this election,” Noble said.

The opt-in survey was taken Jan. 11-13 and has a margin of error of 3.4%.

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