WAFB Channel 9, Baton Rouge, LA |9NEWS POLL: Landrieu leads; Presidential race tight in LA

9NEWS POLL: Landrieu leads; Presidential race tight in LA

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - In her race for re-election, Democrat U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu has a very comfortable lead over her opponent, Republican John Kennedy, according to the results of a WAFB 9NEWS poll released Thursday evening. The poll, conducted by Ed Renwick of Loyola University, also shows the presidential election is very close among Louisiana voters.

In the race for U.S. Senate, 49% of voters surveyed said they plan to vote for Landrieu, compared to 34% for Kennedy. 17% were either undecided or would not say who they plan to vote for. Renwick says the results bode very well for Landrieu. "She has a very good lead right now, no doubt about it," Renwick said. "She has 36% of the white vote. Getting the black vote and 36% of the white, it would be very hard for her to lose the election."

U.S. SENATE

LANDRIEU:   49%
KENNEDY:   34%
UNDECIDED/WON'T SAY:  17%
MARGIN OF ERROR:  +/- 4.5%

Nationally, most polls show Democrat Barack Obama with a lead against Republican John McCain. However, according to this poll, that's not the case in Louisiana. It shows the race is a dead-heat in Louisiana, with 43% of voters indicating they'll vote for McCain and 40% supporting Obama. With a margin of error of +/- 4.5%, the results show a statistical dead heat.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION (LOUISIANA)

MCCAIN:   43%
OBAMA:   40%
UNDECIDED/WON'T SAY:  17%
MARGIN OF ERROR:   +/- 4.5%

The poll shows 93% of African American voters in Louisiana have a favorable opinion of Obama. "93% is almost total. It's unbelievable," Renwick said. "It's one of the highest percentages I've ever seen." The poll also took a look at what Louisiana voters think of Governor Bobby Jindal. 66% of voters surveyed say they have a favorable opinion of Jindal. That number jumped to 76% among Baton Rouge voters. "That's where the government is located and where he lives and works, which is even more complimentary towards him," Renwick said.

Renwick predicts voter turnout on November 4th will be close to 70% statewide. The record for voter turnout in Louisiana is 78.9%. It was set in 1991 during the gubernatorial election between Edwin Edwards and David Duke. The poll was conducted on October 24th through October 26th among registered voters who could be reached through their land phone numbers. The fact that many voters are still dealing with the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita may impact the results of the survey, Renwick said.