Trump-backed candidate widens lead in bruising Kentucky governor primary: poll

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R), who’s backed by former President Trump, is widening his lead in the contentious Kentucky GOP gubernatorial primary, according to a new poll. 

An Emerson College Polling/Fox 56 Lexington survey released on Sunday found Cameron receiving 33 percent support among Kentucky Republican likely voters, compared to former U.N. Ambassador Kelly Craft at roughly 18 percent and Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles at 13 percent.

Another 13 percent said they were undecided. The polling shows that Cameron’s support grew 3 percent since a similar poll conducted last month, which found the Trump-backed candidate at 30 percent while Craft sat at 24 percent and Quarles was at 15 percent.

The polling comes two days before the Kentucky GOP gubernatorial primary. Cameron has widely been viewed as the frontrunner in the race, though Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams (R) estimated last week that voter turnout may be around 10 percent, posing some uncertainty in the race.

“Cameron has grown his support amongst women, from 29% in April to 36% in the current poll,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in a statement. “Men have shifted away from Craft by 10 points since April, 29% to 19%. [Suspended attorney Eric] Deters has gained 7 points among men this month going from 5% to 12%.”

Whoever wins Tuesday’s primary will go head-to-head against Gov. Andy Beshear (D), who enjoys unusually high approval ratings for a red state Democrat. 

The Emerson College Polling/Fox 56 Lexington survey polled 500 very likely Republican primary voters between May 10 and 12. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.