Newly-released polling was made public on Thursday which was commissioned by Alabama Daily News that showed U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) holding a significant lead in his bid to replace the retiring longtime-serving U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL).
The poll, conducted by Cygnal, has Brooks leading the field at 40.8%. Former Business Council of Alabama (BCA) president Katie Britt came in second, garnering 17.7%. Businesswoman and former congressional candidate Jessica Taylor and former U.S. Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda Blanchard followed the two frontrunners, sitting at 3% and 1.6%, respectively.
According to the poll, 5.1% of respondents would have chosen a candidate not named in the survey, while 31.8% remain undecided. Also, 60.7% of undecided voters are more likely to back a Trump-endorsed candidate.
The poll was conducted prior to former President Donald Trump’s rally in Cullman, where he promoted Brooks, who he has endorsed in the race.
Brooks touted the polling data as “great” and labeled Britt as a “lobbyist” who he claimed helped Democrat Doug Jones win election to the U.S. Senate in 2017.
“We are up against the fake news media and Republican Party’s powerful establishment and special interest group wings,” said Brooks. “As such, we are ecstatic to have earned the committed support from so many Alabama patriots. These numbers are great and confirms Alabama wants a MAGA fighter in the Senate, not a lobbyist who, in 2017, helped pro-abortion, pro-impeachment, pro-ObamaCare liberal Democrat Doug Jones win a Senate seat in ruby red Alabama.”
Brooks concluded, “The fake news media and republican RINOs would love nothing more than to deal President Trump a loss in Alabama. We need every Trump supporter to help us in this fight. We must send a message to the Swamp and America by electing a pro-MAGA, fearless fighter to the U.S. Senate!”
A previous poll conducted in June by Club for growth showed Brooks holding at nearly 60% and newly-declared candidate Katie Britt at 9%.
The Britt campaign celebrated the poll as a 27-point swing in favor of her candidacy and pointed to the fact that it has yet to begin heavy advertising while she still holds relatively low name identification among the electorate. The campaign also claimed that the numbers indicate that Brooks has “already hit his ceiling.”
Britt hailed the polling as a sign her campaign is growing momentum.
“The only poll that matters is on Election Day, but this is certainly the latest indicator that our momentum is building at an incredible rate,” said Britt. “We’re working hard every day, travelling across our beautiful state, to get our commonsense, conservative message out directly to the people of Alabama. People are clearly responding, because they know we need a real leader with fresh blood who will actually get things done for hardworking Alabama families, not an ineffective career politician who has never delivered.
She added, “We are blown away by the enthusiasm for our movement and are truly grateful for everyone who has joined Team Britt. With patriots across Alabama at our backs, I will fight tirelessly to protect our Christian conservative values, preserve the American Dream, and grow good-paying jobs and opportunity for all Alabamians in the Senate.”
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.