A voter survey conducted by the conservative Club for Growth in the open 3rd Congressional District showing Hixson health care consultant Robin Smith with a “commanding” lead in the race came under fire last week from her GOP rivals.
The survey, conducted July 12 by Basswood Research, which has conducted voter surveys for the Republican Governors Association and National Republican Senatorial Committee, shows the former state GOP chairwoman with a 22 point lead over Chattanooga attorney and Ooltewah resident Chuck Fleischmann.
“She has a strong lead among both those who associate themselves with the tea party movement and those who do not,” the polls’ analysis concludes. “In short, Robin Smith is well on her way to victory.”
The Washington, D.C.-based organization, which advocates for lower taxes and limited government spending, has endorsed eight U.S. House candidates nationwide, including Mrs. Smith.
In a news release, Mr. Fleischmann’s campaign spokesman, Jordan Powell, said of the poll that “liars figure and figures lie.”
“Her campaign’s touting of a poll that was supposedly conducted by disgraced (South Carolina) Governor Mark Sanford’s consulting firm is ridiculous,” Mr. Powell said. “Our internal polling shows a completely different story, and Mrs. Smith feels the need to try and douse the flames on her sinking campaign with some phony poll results.”
The campaign of another 3rd District GOP candidate, Bradley County Sheriff Tim Gobble, also criticized the Club for Growth survey.
“We had repeated phone calls from concerned voters who were told to answer (the poll) only if they preferred Robin Smith or Chuck Fleischmann,” said Mr. Gobble’s campaign manager, Jeff Lewis, in a news release.
Twenty-one candidates are vying for the 3rd District seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., who is running for governor. The 11-county East Tennessee district includes Chattanooga, Cleveland and Oak Ridge.
Hawkins slams Graves
Former state Sen. Lee Hawkins, a Gainesville, Ga., dentist vying to unseat U.S. Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ga., in the 9th Congressional District, attacked his opponent last week for what he said was a vote against stopping the production of animal cruelty videos.
“I believe the people of North Georgia would loudly voice their support for banning pornographic videos showing animals being trampled to death,” Dr. Hawkins said in a news release.
He said Rep. Graves cast one of three votes against the Prevention of Interstate Commerce in Animal Crush Videos Act of 2010, which Dr. Hawkins said would stop the sales of “video depictions of drowning, impaling, burning and crushing of animals.”
Rep. Graves was not immediately available Friday night for comment.
Rep. Graves was elected June 8 in a special election runoff to fill the term of U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga., who resigned in March to run for governor.
Rep. Graves finished first Tuesday in a primary election but did not receive more than 50 percent of the vote he needed to avoid a Aug. 10 runoff against the second-place finisher, Dr. Hawkins.
If Dr. Hawkins is unsuccessful in the GOP runoff, he will have lost four times to Rep. Graves in three months, dating back to the May 11 special election.
Mr. Deal finished second in the GOP gubernatorial primary last week to former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel and will face her in an Aug. 10 runoff. The winner advances to the Nov. 2 general election against Democrat Roy Barnes, a former governor.
Compiled by staff writer Larry Henry. E-mail Larry Henry at lhenry@timesfreepress.com.
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