Hutchison dismisses Texas gov poll

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) is downplaying a poll released Thursday that shows her 12 points behind Texas Gov. Rick Perry, her likely primary opponent for the governor’s chair next year.

The University of Texas poll had Perry at 38 percent and Hutchison at 26 percent among potential Republican primary voters, with Perry also holding an 11-point lead among registered GOP voters.

Hutchison said the poll was “flawed” and premature.

“When I’m ahead in a poll, I don’t think it means anything, and when I’m behind in a poll I don’t think it means anything,” Hutchison said. “I think this poll was flawed anyway, but you know, I think polls at this point are really not relevant. It’s far away, and I haven’t even started the campaign.”

Hutchison has been considering resigning from the Senate to make the race against Perry next year. The poll surveyed 924 Texans online over two days in mid-June, with a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

–J. Taylor Rushing