Poll: McAllister headed to runoff rematch

A new survey shows Rep. Vance McAllister (R-La.) again in a runoff battle with Louisiana state Sen. Neil Riser (R) if the two decide to run for the 5th district this fall.

{mosads}The poll, commissioned by a group of Baton Rouge lobbyists from the Glascock Group, shows the two separated by less than a percentage point, McAllister taking 26.1 percent to Riser’s 25.6 percent. Jamie Mayo, the Democratic mayor of Monroe, would take third with 13.5 percent.

While McAllister easily defeated Riser during the special election runoff that brought him to Congress last year, the new survey shows Riser narrowly deafeating the congressman, with 51 percent support to 49 percent support for McAllister.

Neither McAllister nor Riser have announced plans to run this fall, and McAllister in fact initially said he would not run for reelection, after he was caught on tape kissing a former staffer that’s not his wife.

He has since walked those comments back and floated the idea of running again. Riser has also left the door open to another run. 

McAllister told KNOE 8 News he was “flattered” by the results of the poll.

“It’s awful flattering to know that we live in a society, a district, where people can forgive,” he said, “and know that as long as you do the job, and do it right, that’s what counts.”