Poll: Moore leads Strange by 11 points on eve of election

Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore is leading Sen. Luther Strange (R-Ala.) by about 11 points in a new poll released on the eve of the Senate primary runoff.

When asked who they would vote for, 52.3 percent of those polled chose Moore, according to a new poll released by Cygnal, an Alabama-based polling group, and L2, a data firm. Just under 41 percent chose Strange.

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The survey was conducted after President Trump appeared at a rally on Friday evening in Huntsville, Ala., to campaign alongside Strange, who has been cast as the Washington establishment candidate in the race.

The poll noted that Trump’s endorsement of Strange has not shown much of an effect on the race. Of those surveyed, 31 percent said Trump’s backing makes them vote for Strange, while 29.5 percent said it makes them vote for Moore. Just over 37 percent, however, said the endorsement has not had any effect on them. 

In a separate question, when asked if Trump’s endorsement affected their voting choice, 57.2 percent said it has had no effect. More than 20 percent said it has pushed them to choose Strange, while just under 18 percent said it pushed them to pick Moore.

Those polled who said they will probably vote for Strange are much less likely to cast a ballot than those who said they will probably back Moore, the survey said. 

The poll was conducted from Sept. 23-24, surveying 996 GOP primary runoff voters. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Trump endorsed Strange in August, before the initial primary, a pick that united him with Republican Senate leadership but has put him at odds with his base of supporters.

Stephen Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist who recently departed the White House, is backing Moore.

The winner of the Tuesday runoff will face off with Democrat Doug Jones in the December general election as Republican try to keep the seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.