MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — A poll released Wednesday by CBS42, Emerson College Polling and The Hill shows a tight race for the open U.S. Senate seat in Alabama, with Republican candidate Katie Britt leading the pack.
Emerson College Polling Executive Director Spencer Kimball says this race will likely lead to a runoff.
“I’d be looking for perhaps a long night next Tuesday as the votes get counted in a very competitive primary,” Kimball said.
The poll shows Britt with 32% support, Mike Durant with 26% and Mo Brooks with 25%. Since the last CBS42, Emerson College Polling and the Hill poll in March, Britt has risen 9 points, Durant has lost 7 points and Brooks has seen the largest gain, with a 13-point increase.
Britt said in a statement about the results: “It’s clear from our surging momentum that Alabamians know that I am the best candidate to defend our Christian conservative values, fight for the America First agenda, and preserve the country that we know and love for our children and our children’s children.”
Kimball says the real surprise of this poll is the late surge of support for Brooks. He says that could be because of the renewed debate over abortion following the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.
“To see people not wanting to vote for him just a couple of months ago, and now switching over to him made us look at some other numbers, and we think that maybe abortion as a top issue is driving some of that renewal in interest in the Brooks campaign,” Kimball said.
Brooks campaign spokesman Will Hampson said in a statement: “The grassroots of our great state feel what we feel, and see the incredible MOmentum we’ve got. The comeback is on.”
When it comes to the slipping support for Durant according to this poll, Durant’s campaign said in a statement that despite attack ads against him, “The conservative grassroots are seeing through the lies and we are confident that Mike Durant will continue to surge as Election Day nears.”
The poll also finds that 53% of Republican Primary voters say an endorsement from former President Donald Trump would make them more likely to vote for a candidate.
