Bill Kaneko, the campaign manager for Gov. Neil Abercrombie, is telling supporters that his guy has a 14-point lead over challenger David Ige, the state senator.
In an email issued earlier today titled “We’ve Pulled Ahead,” Kaneko says Abercrombie is ahead of Ige 42 percent to 28 percent.
“While there may be newer polls, none are as extensive or in depth,” he said.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie in his Hawaii State Capitol office, May 28, 2014.
PF Bentley/Civil Beat
The poll, conducted by SMS Research, surveyed 1,402 registered voters statewide March 24 to April 25. It used a mix of cell phones and land lines and has a margin of error of 2.6 percent.
It’s not clear why the Abercrombie campaign chose to release the poll numbers five weeks after the fact, but it may be an effort to quiet chatter around the state suggesting Ige might be performing better than this poll indicates.
A Civil Beat Poll conducted in February showed the race to be close.
Meanwhile, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that same month indicated that Abercrombie’s re-election is far from a sure thing.
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