Tulane University releases poll on Louisiana U.S. Senate race

Tulane University’s Department of Political Science released new survey results indicating a comfortable lead for state Treasurer John Kennedy going into Saturday’s runoff election for U.S. Senator from Louisiana. Brian Brox, associate professor of Political Science, conducted the online survey of Louisiana residents from Nov. 8-18. 

Among the findings:

° John Kennedy leads the race with 59 percent of respondents saying they would vote for him while 40 percent of respondents said they would vote for Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell.

° When the presidential vote of the respondent is considered, nearly 83 percent of Trump voters plan to vote for Kennedy while nearly 69 percent of Clinton voters plan to vote for Campbell.

° When the respondent’s vote in the Senate primary is considered, both Kennedy and Campbell retain the support of well over 90 percent of their primary voters. Among those who voted for other major candidates, only Caroline Fayard voters indicate a preference for Campbell; previous supporters of U.S. Rep Charles Boustany, U.S. Rep. John Fleming, and Rob Maness now indicate a preference for Kennedy.

° When the racial background of the respondent is considered, 71 percent of African-American respondents chose Campbell while nearly 29 percent will vote for Kennedy. Among whites, 74 percent plan to vote for Kennedy while 26 percent will vote for Campbell.

The survey had 960 respondents. Given the online administration of the survey, the respondents were chosen in a non-probability sample and therefore one cannot calculate a margin of error. Cases were weighted to reflect the Louisiana population 18 and above based on the 2015 American Community Survey. 

The full survey report is available here and those seeking additional information about the survey can contact Brian Brox at bbrox@tulane.edu.