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Independent polling by Emerson College and The Hill shows Attorney General Todd Rokita and the rest of the statewide Republican ticket with a strong lead over Democrats with just three weeks left before early voting begins.
The poll—commissioned by Indianapolis Fox affiliate WXIN-TV Channel 59 and CBS affiliate WTTV-TV Channel 4—shows incumbent Rokita leading the race for Indiana attorney general, 49% to 35%, over Democrat Destiny Wells with 16% undecided. Those results conflict with an internal poll released by Wells showing a margin of less than 5%.
The Emerson College poll queried 1,000 likely voters on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 12-13. More than 75% of those polled identified as Republicans; nearly 85% are white; and the age range was more or less equal across six decades. The margin of error was plus or minus 3%.
Despite the lead and Democrats’ difficulty in winning statewide races in Indiana, Rokita’s campaign said it continues to work hard to communicate Rokita’s record of accomplishment.
“Todd was elected with the largest number of votes for anyone in history running for statewide office, but we take no election for granted,” Brent Littlefield, consultant to the Rokita campaign, said in written remarks. “We know our campaign must continue communicating his strong record of accomplishments related to the economy, illegal immigration, crime, major legal settlements, and jury trial wins.”
Hannah Smith, campaign spokeswoman for Destiny Wells, said the race is where it was expected to be at this point in the campaign.
“This poll is exactly what should be expected in early fall, but the media is making it seem like these are groundbreaking numbers that show it’s over before it’s begun. That’s plain irresponsible,” Smith said in a written statement. “Here’s some breaking news: Indiana isn’t a progressive state – it’s red! But let’s be clear, Republicans should be over fifty percent at this point and yet they’re running ten points behind. Democrats are over performing, and independent voters have yet to decide. There is nothing but opportunity in these numbers, and our internal polling shows the real secret: the numbers break toward Destiny Wells, not toward career politician Todd Rokita.”
In the governor’s race, the Emerson College poll shows Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Braun leading Democratic challenger Jennifer McCormick by 11 points, 45% to 34%. Libertarian Donald Rainwater, who received 11% of the vote in the last gubernatorial election, was at 6% in the poll. The poll found 13% of voters were undecided.
Republican Rep. Jim Banks also leads over Democrat Valerie McCray 47% to 33% in the U.S. Senate race. Libertarian Andrew Horning garnered 5%.
The poll shows former President Donald Trump holding a 17-point lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in the race for the presidency.
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