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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 15, 2005 Atkinson gains in poll, while most Republicans undecided By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune An independent poll shows Jason Atkinson receiving 6 percent of the Republican vote if the gubernatorial primary were held today. The poll, released by Riley Research Associates of Portland on Monday, found that 53 percent of Republicans remain undecided about which candidate they would choose. Despite the low percentage, Atkinson, a Central Point senator, called the results of the poll "encouraging" because of the high number of undecided voters and the relatively low showing by his opponents. "This poll shows, if anything, that a campaign like ours that is new and getting known around the state — that the opportunities are wide open," he said. He said both of his main opponents, who have spent millions of dollars on previous campaigns, haven’t drummed up much support so far. Advertisement The poll results give front-runner and former gubernatorial candidate Kevin Mannix 29 percent of the vote, and Ron Saxton, also a former gubernatorial candidate, 6 percent. Candidate Ben Westlund had 3 percent and William Spidal had 1 percent. On the Democratic side, the poll shows former Gov. John Kitzhaber ahead with 29 percent of the vote to incumbent Gov. Ted Kulongoski with 27 percent. Other potential candidates such as Vicki Walker, Peter Sorenson and Jim Hill had 3 percent or less. The poll, which claims to be accurate within 4.49 percent, found that 36 percent of Democrats are undecided. It also found that 48 percent of voters from either party thought the state was headed in the wrong direction. Five percent of Democrats plan to vote for a Republican, while 14 percent of Republicans say they would vote for a Democrat, the poll found. Only three of the candidates have officially filed for the election: Mannix, Spidal and David W. Beem, who did not show up in the poll. The official filing deadline for the primary is March 7. Jack Kane, a political consultant for Mannix, said of the poll results, "It’s very good news for Kevin, but it’s not very good news for Ted." He said the poll shows the incumbent is weak, and the Republican challengers are trailing far behind Mannix. "If I’m Ron Saxton, I’d be concerned," he said. He also said Atkinson faces an uphill battle. "It’s difficult for someone down there to be known up here," he said. Atkinson spokesperson Christine Drazan pointed out that former Gov. Kitzhaber hailed from Roseburg. "That’s kind of a weak argument to me," she said. Kane said that the general election in November 2006 could be very familiar to Oregonians. "This is setting up to be a rematch of the 2002 race," he said, referring to the contest between Kulongoski and Mannix. Felix Schein, campaign coordinator for Saxton, said he wasn’t surprised by the numbers. "Kevin has a much higher (voter) identification than other candidates," he said. But he said the poll shows the race is far from over, and voters haven’t yet focused much on the election next year. "A huge number of folks have yet to make up their minds," he said. Atkinson polled the best at 11 percent in Congressional District 5, which runs from the Central Coast through the state capitol. He also pulled 9 percent in Congressional District 4, which includes southern coastal, Lane and Douglas counties. In Congressional District 2, which includes Jackson and most Eastern counties, Atkinson got 4 percent. In Congressional District 3, made up by Multnomah and part of Clackamas counties, he polled at zero percent. An August poll by Riley Research found that Atkinson would have gotten 4 percent of the vote, although Atkinson had announced his candidacy midway through the poll. Atkinson said he does have a lot of work ahead of him trying to make himself known to voters in what he describes as a grassroots campaign. "I’ve driven 6,000 miles in the last seven weeks," he said, referring to his campaign schedule. He said he plans to use the Internet extensively as part of his campaign. "In the blogger world, we’re rocking," he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail Atkinson gains in poll, while most Republicans undecided ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Salvia Divinorum Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s