A new poll of Arizona voters gives Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl a commanding lead over Democratic challenger Jim Pederson.
The poll shows Kyl handily beating Pederson in all parts of the state, even in the reliably Democratic stronghold of Pima County.
Conducted by the nonpartisan Behavior Research Center of Phoenix, the poll shows Kyl beating Pederson 55-26 percent statewide, with 19 percent undecided.
In Pima County, it says Kyl would beat Pederson today 44-29 percent, with 27 percent undecided.
And in the rural parts of Arizona, Kyl wins 54-24 percent, with 22 percent undecided.
"Kyl is going to win," said Judi White, chairwoman of the county Republican Party. "This shows he's very popular and that he's a senator for Republicans and Democrats alike."
But Paul Eckerstom, chairman of the county Democratic Party, dismissed the value of a survey this early in the campaign.
"I'm not worried yet," he said. "Jim Pederson is not well known. He will be. This is about name ID. Wait until the TV ads start running. Then the numbers will tighten up."
Pollster Earl de Berge noted that Kyl is stronger now than in October, as the percentage of voters who say he is doing a "good" or "excellent" job climbed from 40 to 42 percent.
Kyl, a staunch ally of President Bush, is seeking a third term. Pederson, a Phoenix developer, is a former chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party making his first bid for elective office.
The same poll also showed Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano with a 28-point lead over Don Goldwater and a 34-point lead over John Greene, Republicans who hope to unseat her in November.
Elected in 2002, Napolitano now enjoys a "good" or "excellent" job rating from 57 percent of voters, the poll found.
The poll was conducted over an eight-day period beginning Jan. 5. The results are based on telephone interviews with 549 voters, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percent.
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©The Arizona Daily Star, 2006
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