Georgia Governor: Perdue by 25

[Ron Burgundy]

Rasmussen Reports - While many candidates around the country are scrambling in the final weeks leading up to November 7, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue has no worries. The latest Rasmussen Reports election survey shows Perdue leading Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor (D) 58% to 32%. That's an 11-point improvement for Perdue, who was already leading by a hearty 14-point advantage in our last survey.

A plurality of voters (40%) says they have a "very favorable" opinion of their governor. Overall, 75% of voters have favorable impressions of Perdue. Just 21% feel unfavorably with 7% reporting "very unfavorable" opinions.

Forty-eight percent (48%) feel favorably toward Taylor--14% extremely so. Forty-five percent (45%) feel unfavorably with 19% reporting "very unfavorable" opinions.

In addition to feeling positively toward Perdue as a person, many Georgians are equally satisfied with Perdue's administration. Seventy-three percent (73%) approve of his job performance with a plurality (40%) again reporting the highest opinions. Twenty-seven percent (27%) disapprove and 12% "strongly disapprove."

When asked if they'd ever consider voting for a candidate who would raise taxes, 46% say no. Fifty-three percent (53%) say they would consider supporting a candidate who would make changes to the Social Security system. Twenty-six percent (26%) would not.

Forty-five percent (45%) of Georgians surveyed say the U.S. should bring its troops home from Iraq within the year. Thirty-nine percent (39%) disagree and 16% aren't sure.

Bucking what's becoming a national trend, 52% of respondents say that if their vote could determine control of the U.S. Senate, they would vote Republican. Forty percent (40%) would vote Democrat and 8% are undecided.

This telephone survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports October 8, 2006. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.