Poll: Miller-Meeks doubles support in 2nd District GOP race

CEDAR RAPIDS - Mariannette Miller-Meeks has more than doubled her support in the race for the Republican nomination in Iowa's 2nd District.

Miller-Meeks, who has twice unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, is seeking the party's nomination for a third attempt to unseat the four-term Iowa City Democrat.

A Loras College Poll released Monday showed Miller-Meeks leading State Rep. Mark Lofgren of Muscatine 35.6 percent to 12.3 percent. In an early April Loras College poll, the Ottumwa ophthalmologist and former director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, led 17 percent to 11 percent.

It's clear her message is resonating, said campaign spokesman Matt Sauvage.

'With rising health care costs and an unaccountable federal government, Miller-Meeks is the strongest, most qualified candidate to be matched up against a Washington politician like Dave Loebsack who promised the Affordable Care Act would lower premiums for Iowa families and is contributing to the dysfunction in Washington,” he said.

The poll showed that Lofgren's numbers haven't changed much.

However, in an email Monday evening, Lofgren disputed the lopsided poll results.

Based on hundreds of conversations with 2nd District Republicans, he's 'very encouraged by the support” he's receiving.

'My message of fixing Obamacare, balancing the budget and bringing fiscal responsibility to DC is being overwhelmingly received,” Lofgren said.

Lofgren went on to say he has one qualification neither Miller-Meeks nor Matt Waldren of Eddyville has: 'I'm the only candidate in this primary who has won an elective office.”

Given that 50 percent of those surveyed were still undecided, Associate Professor of Politics and Director of the Loras College Poll, Christopher Budzisz said she has work to do to secure the nomination.

He noted that although Miller-Meeks is a familiar name to Republican voters, she only announced her candidacy in February. Lofgren, on the other hand, has been running since June 2013.

'Looking through the poll results, it is clear that Miller-Meeks has benefited from her past electoral experience, ' Budzisz said. 'While redistricting changed the district from the last time she ran, Miller-Meeks has a strong advantage over Lofgren in name recognition (70 percent to 42 percent).”

Although the national political climate may benefit the GOP nominee in the 2nd, 'incumbency advantage is a hard thing to overcome in any election cycle,” Budzisz said.

The telephone poll of 300 likely GOP primary voters May 13-14 found that 35.6 percent favored Miller-Meeks, 12.3 percent backed Lofgren and 50.7 percent were undecided.

The poll has a 5.65 percent margin of error.

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