Two weeks ago, I moved this race from Toss Up to Lean Republican. There were several polls that showed former Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin got a big bounce out of the Republican primary. Her approval ratings were in the 60s and she had a comfortable lead over former Gov. Tony Knowles.
It would seem though that the foundation under Palin's strong poll numbers was far from sturdy. Knowles' first television ads out of the primary focused on his belief that the state is at a crossroads. Then his advertising shifted to the question of whether Palin has the experience to guide the state. This message appears to have struck a nerve with voters, and in responding to Knowles' charges, Palin may have proved his point.
More recent polling indicates that Knowles has closed the gap and taken some of the air out of Palin's high approval ratings. Palin's own polling also indicates that the race has closed but that her positive ratings remain high. The business community is starting to rally around the former Governor; they think he has
Subscribe Today
Our subscribers have first access to individual race pages for each House, Senate and Governors race, which will include race ratings (each race is rated on a seven-point scale) and a narrative analysis pertaining to that race.