New Poll: Hutchison Leads 56-31

A North Carolina-based Democratic pollster has found that Kay Bailey Hutchison is leading Rick Perry 56 percent to 31 percent among likely Republican primary voters.

The last polling numbers we had, taken in December, were Hutchison at 55 and Perry at 31.

From the Statesman:

“If the Republican primary were held today, Rick Perry’s tenure… would be coming to an end,” Raleigh-based Public Policy Polling said online today. Its survey suggests Perry trails Hutchison 56-31 percent among likely GOP primary voters.

The group polled 797 likely Republican primary voters from February 18-20. The survey’s margin of error is +/-3.5%. Other factors, such as refusal to be interviewed and weighting, may introduce additional error that is more difficult to quantify.

Hutchison is viewed favorably by 75 percent of voters likely to vote in the Republican primary, while 60 percent have a positive opinion of Perry.

“Rick Perry is in grave danger of losing in the primary,” said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling, with the big reason being Hutchison’s greater popularity.

“It would be hard for anyone to beat her in an election,” Debnam said.