A new poll out this morning shows the Iowa Senate race in a dead heat for a potential November matchup between Sen. Joni Ernst and Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield. Ernst leads Greenfield by a single point, 43% to 42%, in a survey from Public Policy Polling released this morning that was conducted April 30 to May 1. That margin is obviously within the margin of error in this poll of 1,222 Iowans.
Greenfield, a businesswoman from Des Moines, is one of five Democrats competing in the June 2 primary. She’s drawn the support of state leaders and national Democratic groups, has raised the most money in the primary and is generally seen as the most likely candidate to emerge as the nominee.
Perhaps more troubling for Ernst than the initial matchup numbers is her sinking approval rating. Just 37% of Iowans approve of Ernst in this poll, compared to 43% who disapprove. It’s significantly below President Donald Trump. This survey finds Trump with a 49% approval and 47% disapproval in Iowa.
The presidential race is also close in Iowa, which is essential for Democrats to score a win in the Senate race and other down-ballot contests. Joe Biden trails Trump here by two points, 46% to 48%.
Democrats’ primary for the Senate has largely been overshadowed by the Iowa Caucus contest and now the coronavirus pandemic. Advertising began only recently for some of the candidates, with Greenfield getting a statewide boost from TV ads run by the Senate Majority PAC, the main Democratic Senate super PAC. While that has certainly helped Greenfield’s name ID, these Democratic candidates have not gotten too much attention from the broader news media in the state.
For Ernst to start off this poorly before much of Iowa knows the Democratic alternatives may serve as another warning sign for her.
In recent months, Ernst has largely kept to the Republican talking points of blaming China for the coronavirus outbreak and has pushed for a quick reopening of the United States. That position puts her at odds with most Iowans. And this new poll also finds that only 36% of Iowans believe meatpacking plants should be reopened now in order to avoid disruption to the nation’s food supply, something Ernst has advocated for lately. 53% prefer they remain closed until health officials can ensure the workplace is safe for workers.
by Pat Rynard
Posted 5/4/20
Iowa Starting Line is an independently-owned progressive news outlet devoted to providing unique, insightful coverage on Iowa news and politics. We need reader support to continue operating — please donate here. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more coverage.
14 Comments on "New Poll: Joni Ernst Only Up 1 In Reelect Race"
I think this is great. However, Theresa Greenfield is not running a very effective campaign in the primary election to be held on June 2nd. She does not have an active virtual presence – she’s not hosting town halls, interviews, daily briefings – not generating any interesting content at all. The three candidates who are making a heroic effort to reach voters in the middle of a pandemic are Mike Franken, Kimberly Graham, and Eddie Mauro. I will be choosing between those candidates, because this campaign is likely to be virtual, and we need a candidate who is flexible and can adapt. I don’t want generic content from a paid consultant. I think it would be only fair for the Theresa Greenfield campaign to post some links if there is something interesting that I have simply missed.
Will there be some kind of debate before the primary? I, too, would like to be able to “see” the candidates in a competitive forum.
Greenfield is a carpetbagger and I won’t support her if she is the nominee. Gotta go with Kimberly Graham all the way!
I like Theresa Greenfield but would vote for whom ever the Democratic candidate is because we MUST get rid of Mitch McConnell. He is the worst Majority Leader there ever was in the US Senate . Joni Ernst votes with him 97% f the time and 100% on crucial issues where she could have made a difference.