A new Mason-Dixon poll conducted for the Las Vegas Review-Journal/8NewsNow contradicts the surprising results of this week’s Public Opinion Strategies poll that has gubernatorial hopeful Rory Reid trailing Brian Sandoval by just six points. The RJ survey shows Brian Sandoval is beating Rory Reid by 51-37 percent.
Two weeks ago, this same pollster showed Sandoval’s lead at 52-36. Four weeks ago, the survey showed Sandoval was leading Reid 53-31.
Results from the survey show independent voters prefer Sandoval 58 to 26 percent, and also shows Sandoval, who is from Reno, beating Reid on his home turf of Clark County by 47 to 41 percent.
Reid has been trying to gain traction by running television ads tying Sandoval to banking industry lobbyists due to a 1997 bank bill Sandoval sponsored when he was a member of the state assembly. So far, it doesn’t seem to be working. This survey shows Sandoval still leaves a favorable impression on 53 percent of of voters with unfavorables at just 23 percent.
Reid, on the other hand, leaves just 34 percent of voters with a favorable impression and has unfavorables at 43 percent.
An anecdotal voter comment in this morning’s Las Vegas Review Journal story may reveal why that is so:
“I’m just sick of Harry Reid and I don’t know too much about Rory,” said Paula Sebestyen, 60, a retired casino worker from Las Vegas, describing why she chose Sandoval in the poll. “If he was raised by Harry I have got to believe the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
Another voter who said she was not choosing Sandoval also chimed in on Reid’s family ties, telling the Review Journal, “I sort of hate the dynasty business.”
Only 7 percent of likely voters said they were undecided in the Mason-Dixon results.