A new poll is showing a close Senate race between first-time candidate Katie Britt and six-term Congressman Mo Brooks.
The poll was conducted by firm McLaughlin & Associates and was commissioned independently from any campaign or entity that supports a candidate in the race. The poll shows Britt leading Brooks on a head-to-head ballot, 38.8% to 36.6%. 24.6% of voters were undecided.
When voters were asked who they would vote for amongst four candidates, Brooks came out on top, with 31.4%, while Britt was a close second at 26.2%. Third place went to candidate Mike Durant with 16.6% and Jessica Taylor came in fourth with 4%. 21.8% were undecided when asked about all four candidates.
Sean Ross, a spokesman for the Britt campaign, said in an email, “It is clear the Alabamians want fresh blood in the Senate, not a do-nothing, 40-year career politician. Katie continues to work tirelessly every day to directly deliver her positive message to every corner of our state, and her grassroots campaign is paying off. She will be the best candidate to protect Alabama’s Christian conservative values, fight to always put Alabama first, and deliver real results that benefit hardworking Alabama families, not Washington, D.C. special interests. Alabamians can see this, as the numbers reflect.”
In the same poll, when asked about President Joe Biden, 90% of voters had an unfavorable opinion of him. 85.8% had a favorable opinion of Donald Trump, and 64.6% had a favorable opinion of retiring Senator Richard Shelby.
Britt, who was recently endorsed by Manufacture Alabama, has also been out-fundraising her opponents. In October, she had already raised $3.76 million for her campaign while Brooks had raised $1.79 million. Britt is also endorsed by the Alabama Farmers Federation, the Alabama Retail Association, and the Home Builders Association of Alabama.
“Manufacture Alabama seeks to endorse pro-business candidates who will advocate on behalf of manufacturers in Alabama. Katie Britt embodies these qualities and has the tenacity and experience we need representing Alabama in the U.S. Senate,” said George Clark, President of Manufacture Alabama. “Katie has the work ethic, energy, and vision required to ensure Alabama will be a great place to live and work for future generations.”
David Hughes, associate professor of political science and public administration at Auburn University at Montgomery believes Brooks and Britt will end up in a runoff. The professor told Al.com, “For my money, this race is headed to a runoff between Britt and Brooks,” Hughes said. “Britt has a name recognition problem, and Brooks has an image problem. We’ll see how that plays out leading down the stretch.”
