Political Insider Landmark poll: Nathan Deal and Karen Handel in dead heat
4:53 pm August 9, 2010, by Jim Galloway

The local Republican-oriented strategy firm of Landmark Communications, which last week gave Karen Handel a 46 to 37 percent lead over Nathan Deal in the Republican runoff for governor, is out this afternoon with a follow-up poll – that says Deal has closed the gap.

Says Landmark:

Deal leads 44-42% over Handel with 14% saying they will vote but are still undecided. Based on a previous Landmark poll conducted August 1st, Deal has moved up eleven percentage points over the past week, from nine back to two ahead….

“Nathan Deal has moved from behind to a statistical tie,” said Landmark President Mark Rountree. “Over the past week, Deal effectively won many undecided and less committed voters, making this a dead heat. We don’t make a prediction on the outcome of this.”

I was just going to ask about Hermann Cain because I saw he is voting for Deal on Shelly's twitter. Did he formally endorse or did he say it on his radio show that he is voting for Deal?

Good news all around.

Hey Brian,

I love the picture of you holding up the Team Huck postercard. Looks like you were having a great time.

Landmark Communications (R) Georgia Gubernatorial Primary Runoff

* Nathan Deal 43.7% (37.1%)
* Karen Handel 41.9% (45.8%)
* Undecided 14.4% (17.1%)

Among Republicans (73.6%)

* Nathan Deal 47.4%
* Karen Handel 41.0%
* Undecided 11.6%

Among Independents (23.8%)

* Karen Handel 43.6%
* Nathan Deal 32.9%
* Undecided 23.5%

Among Men (50.9%)

* Nathan Deal 45.1%
* Karen Handel 40.7%
* Undecided 14.2%

Among Women (49.1%)

* Karen Handel 43.1%
* Nathan Deal 42.2%
* Undecided 14.7%

Age 18-34 (9.1%)

* Nathan Deal 42.1%
* Karen Handel 19.3%
* Undecided 38.6%

Age 35-50 (23.9%)

* Nathan Deal 41.6%
* Karen Handel 36.9%
* Undecided 21.5%

Age 51-64 (34.9%)

* Karen Handel 48.6%
* Nathan Deal 44.5%
* Undecided 6.9%

Age 65+ (32.1%)

* Karen Handel 45.0%
* Nathan Deal 44.5%
* Undecided 10.5%

Landmark Communications (R) Georgia Gubernatorial Primary Runoff

* Nathan Deal 43.7% (37.1%)
* Karen Handel 41.9% (45.8%)
* Undecided 14.4% (17.1%)

Among Republicans (73.6%)

* Nathan Deal 47.4%
* Karen Handel 41.0%
* Undecided 11.6%

Among Independents (23.8%)

* Karen Handel 43.6%
* Nathan Deal 32.9%
* Undecided 23.5%

Among Men (50.9%)

* Nathan Deal 45.1%
* Karen Handel 40.7%
* Undecided 14.2%

Among Women (49.1%)

* Karen Handel 43.1%
* Nathan Deal 42.2%
* Undecided 14.7%

Age 18-34 (9.1%)

* Nathan Deal 42.1%
* Karen Handel 19.3%
* Undecided 38.6%

Age 35-50 (23.9%)

* Nathan Deal 41.6%
* Karen Handel 36.9%
* Undecided 21.5%

Age 51-64 (34.9%)

* Karen Handel 48.6%
* Nathan Deal 44.5%
* Undecided 6.9%

Age 65+ (32.1%)

* Karen Handel 45.0%
* Nathan Deal 44.5%
* Undecided 10.5%

Palin endorsement sways one voter, but not as intended

Sarah Palin’s endorsement has been widely credited for propelling Karen Handel into today’s runoff for the Republican nomination for governor. But the endorsement had the opposite effect for at least one Georgia voter.

James Kern of Buford cast his vote for Nathan Deal at Hamilton Mill Christian Church on Tuesday afternoon. He cited Palin’s endorsement of Handel.

“She’s just too loud and obnoxious,” Kern said of the former Alaska governor. He also cited Palin’s decision not to finish her term as governor.

As for Deal, “I just feel like he’s honest,” Kern said. “I like him.”

Hall Co. Bucks Low Voter Trend

Voter turnout for Tuesday's runoff elections has been predicted to be as low as 7 percent, but that’s not the trend so far in north Georgia's Hall County in the 9th Congressional district

By 3 o'clock this afternoon, 10,689 people had cast votes.

That’s nearly as many as in the primary election three weeks ago, when about 10,800 people had voted by 3 PM.

But high voter turnout in Hall County may be an exception since it was most recently represented in Congress by Republican gubernatorial candidate Nathan Deal, and there is a heated runoff for Deal’s former House seat.

Sylvia Small, an Atlanta public relations counselor, said she voted for Nathan Deal in the Republican runoff for governor.

"It was an easy choice. I don't like negative campaigning," Small said. "A campaign should be able to stand on its own merits."

Tim Small, an Atlanta consultant, supported former state lawmaker Eric Johnson in last month's primary but switched to Nathan Deal after Johnson failed to make the runoff.

Small said he was upset that Deal's opponent Karen Handel did not finish a full term as either secretary of state or Fulton County Commission chair.

"She doesn't finish anything she starts. I'm not a real big person on negative campaigns and she was definitely negative," Small said. "That's one thing I did like about Eric Johnson is he's always a class act. And I don't think Deal would have come out swinging if Handel hadn't started it."

James Lynn, 84, of Savannah cast his runoff vote Tuesday for Karen Handel in the Republican race for governor.

"I liked her better than the other guy," said Lynn, who's retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Nick Carnes, a 29-year-old pastor in Evans, said he voted for Karen Handel in the July primary, but switched his vote to Nathan Deal in the runoff after hearing more from both of the candidates. He said he was swayed after hearing Deal's jobs plan on a conservative talk show.

"Most of my information on Handel was based on her supporters and I must admit that due to my business, I got lazy and did not research most of the candidates for myself," he said of his primary vote.

Barry Myers, 69, of Savannah stuck with Handel in the runoff Tuesday, after voting for her in the primary three weeks ago. While Myers said he's not sure how much he believes Handel's attacks on Nathan Deal's ethics, they affected his vote.

"I'm inclined to doubt how ethical he has been since he's been in Congress," said Myers, a retired medical technician. "I don't know how much is truthful, but I'm so fed up with politicians getting elected and forgetting what the people sent them to do."