Florida’s 22nd Congressional District is one of the Sunshine State’s most competitive seats in the US House of Representatives. Last November, conservative firebrand and retired Army Lt. Col. Allen West defeated incumbent Democrat Ron Klein in that district, and earned a reputation as a fierce legislator and public speaker.
As a result, West is now a top target of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). And this week, outgoing West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel announced that she would challenge Congressman West for his seat in 2012.
Is Frankel’s candidacy a recruiting coup for the DCCC? Has Congressman West’s aggressive style turned off voters in this affluent beachside district?
Viewpoint Florida wanted to know the answers to these questions. And needless to say, our brushfire survey yielded very intriguing results.
50% of the likely voters we surveyed said they had a favorable impression of Allen West, while 36% had an unfavorable impression of him. Surprisingly, 20% of Democrats viewed West favorably despite his conservative record.
Lois Frankel received a 28% favorable rating from voters, while 36% of those surveyed said they viewed her unfavorably.
On the ballot test, Congressman West holds a 53%-38% lead over Mayor Frankel, a fifteen-point spread.
Although West and Frankel are tied 45%-45% amongst Independent voters, West enjoys a massive 83%-10% lead over Frankel with Republican voters.
Additionally, West picks up 22% of Democrat voters, while Frankel earns support from 69% of voters in her own party.
http://viewpointflorida.org/index.php/site/article/allen_west_leads_top_democrat_opponent_by_15_points/
