Branstad Has Big Lead Over Iowa's Gov. Culver

2 years ago

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Contributing Editor

First-term Iowa Gov. Chet Culver is facing the same headaches a lot of his peers are suffering in other states, struggling with budget and economic woes. And that, no doubt, feeds into the fact that Republican Terry Branstad, who was governor from 1983 to 1999, leads the incumbent Democrat by 54 percent to 34 percent in a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Sept. 22. Four percent are undecided.

If Branstad does decide to run -- he has said he will decide in October -- Rasmussen states that "it's likely that his numbers would shift. It's much easier for people to have fond memories of a former governor than it is of an active candidate. Branstad also would face significant primary challenges for the GOP nomination."

Culver also trails Robert Vander Plaats, who ran unsuccessfully for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in 2002 and was Republican Jim Nussle's running mate in 2006. Vander Plaats leads Culver 43 percent to 39 percent with 9 percent undecided. The margin of error is 4.5 percentage points.

Culver is seen unfavorably by 50 percent of voters and favorably by 43 percent. Branstad is seen favorably by 64 percent of voters and unfavorably by 29 percent. Vander Plaats is seen favorably by 45 percent and unfavorably by 30 percent, but his biggest problem is that there are 25 percent who don't know enough about him to have an opinion.

Filed Under: Polls, Governors, Poll Watch, 2010 Elections

Tagged: Chet Culver, ChetCulver, Iowa Governor Race, IowaGovernorRace, Robert Vander Plaats, RobertVanderPlaats, Terry Branstad, TerryBranstad

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