By NICK SLOAN, nick@kansascitykansan.com
KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- Kansas Rep. Paul Davis is leading Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback in another poll from KSN News and Survey USA.
Davis leads 48 percent to 40 percent in the poll, which was taken during the week of July 17-22.
SurveyUSA interviewed 2,400 adults, 2,079 of which were registered to vote. In a poll taken earlier this summer by the same media outlet, Davis led Brownback by six points.
Davis' lead can be attributed to four key items, according to the poll.
First, Davis has the support of nearly 30 percent of the Republicans who participated in the poll. Only five percent of Democrats are supporting Brownback, per SurveyUSA.
Second is the issue of education. Among those voters who consider education the most important issue in this year's election, Davis enjoys about four times the support as Brownback does.
Third, Davis leads Brownback by 20 points among senior citizens.
Fourth, non-affiliated and Independent voters are falling in line with the Davis campaign. Davis leads Brownback by 21 points among independent voters. Libertarian candidate Keen Umbehr has the support of 13 percent of independent voters.
Umbehr has the support of five percent of voters, which would earn the major party designation for the Kansas Libertarian Party.
Other notes from the poll:
1. In a potential match-up between U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts and Democrat Chad Taylor, Roberts leads the poll by five points and has only 38 percent of support from voters. Roberts maintains a 20-point advantage over Milton Wolf, Roberts' challenge in the GOP primary. In a race between Taylor and Wolf, Taylor edges out Wolf 34 to 33 percent.
2. Among state-wide Republicans, Secretary of State Kris Kobach is in the strongest position. Kobach leads Democrat challenger Jean Schodrof 46 to 37 percent. Kobach leads his primary challenger Scott Morgan 56-30 percent.
3. Greg Orman, a Johnson County businessman seeking to appear on the Senate ballot as an independent candidate, earns 13 percent of the vote against Roberts and his Democratic challenger.
