GOP-friendly pollster has Carmona leading Flake by five points

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

This poll was released under condition the pollster not be identified, which raises my suspicion, but in any event azfamily.com (TV 3) in Phoenix reports a GOP-friendly pollster has released a poll showing Dr. Richard Carmona leading Rep. Jeff Flake by five points for the U.S. Senate seat. Poll: Carmona leading Flake:

The results of a surprising new poll in the U.S. Senate race were released Wednesday showing Democrat Richard Carmona beating his Republican rival.

The survey, which was conducted by a GOP-friendly firm, shows Carmona holding a 5-point edge over Jeff Flake.

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Officials with Flake's campaign declined to comment on the poll. But Flake's spokesman, Andrew Wilder, said, "We've always known this race is going to be a close one. That's why Jeff Flake is working hard to gain the trust of voters.

But a spokesman for Carmona's camp said they were pleased.

"We don't put too much weight in any poll, but this confirms what our campaign has been saying all along," said spokesman Andy Barr. "Dr. Carmona is a unique candidate with a background that appeals to Independents, Republicans, and Democrats."

Specifically, the numbers show Carmona with 44 percent and Flake with 39. But 16 percent of those questioned said they were undecided.

Of the 620 voters questioned, 37 percent were Republican, 34 percent were Democrat, and 29 percent were independent. The poll had a margin of error of 4 points.

The authors of the poll did not want to be identified because they were not authorized to release the details.

This report raises another point that I have noticed in tracking outside money in this race:

Another surprising element in the race is the lack of money coming from outside spending groups.

During the primary, the powerful Republican group, Club for Growth, spent more than $1 million helping Flake.

So far the group has spent nothing on the race. The only money from outside groups came from conservative Freedomworks for America. The organization tossed in about $85,000 to help Flake.

If Carmona is leading, where is the DSCC and Democratic PACs and Super PACs dropping money into Arizona to win a critical Senate seat? Time to step up and play to win this seat!