Didier, Newhouse campaigns disagree on new poll

ELTOPIA - Clint Didier's campaign for the Fourth Congressional District recently publicized a new poll showing a slight lead over candidate Dan Newhouse.

The Newhouse campaign believes it is not an accurate portrayal of Fourth District voters, according to Newhouse's campaign manager Jim Keough.

On Oct. 1, the Didier campaign posted a link on their campaign website, which directed visitors to details of a poll that showed Didier holds a small lead over Newhouse in the race.

Thirty-five percent of those polled would vote for Didier, while 33 percent would vote for Newhouse and 26 percent still undecided, according to www.freedomworks.org. The information was gleaned in a Sept. 16-17 telephone survey done by Polling Company Inc./WomanTrend. Four hundred "likely" Fourth District voters participated in the poll.

"According to the poll, a 54 percent majority of voters would prefer their next representative to go in a new direct direction than outgoing Congressman (Doc) Hastings, which points to Didier's favor as a grassroots-backed fiscal conservative," reads a statement on FreedomWorks for America's website.

The survey polled Fourth District residents and took into account a number of different demographics, such as age, gender and geographical region.

The Didier campaign believes the poll shows that Didier is leading in the race.

"We are pleased that the poll confirmed Clint Didier's frontrunner status in Washington State's Fourth Congressional district," said Didier's campaign manager Larry Stickney.

Stickney went on to state those in the Didier campaign, "are equally pleased that the poll made it clear that 'Fourth District voters are five times as likely to back a candidate who has support from grassroots conservative groups (60 percent) than one who is propped up by insiders and the party establishment (12 percent).' This will likely be an important factor with remaining (26 percent) undecided voters."

Stickney believes the information in the poll is "all good news for Clint Didier."

The Newhouse campaign believes the numbers are misleading and do not accurately portray the mindset of Fourth District voters.

"The Didier campaign is so desperate that they have to dig up a month old poorly developed poll to show this race is a virtual tie," remarked Newhouse's campaign manager Jim Keough.

Keough said the poll FreedomWorks for America is referencing does not accurately represent current views of voters.

Keough stated "the Didier campaign knows it," and newer polls will tell a "different story."