Is the Tea Party Express Alaska Poll Real?

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


On Monday, the Tea Party Express sent out an email blast touting a supposed surge by Joe Miller, the group’s preferred candidate in the Alaska Republican senate primary. Miller, the email said, was quickly narrowing the gap with incumbent Republican Lisa Murkowski.

The last public poll had Murkowski crushing Miller by 32 points. But the Tea Party Express says this latest, unnamed poll in Alaska finds Miller within just 9 points a few days before the August 24 primary.

There’s one glaring problem, however: outside of the Tea Party Express email, I can’t find any evidence that the latest poll even exists. I called Miller’s campaign, and his spokesman couldn’t tell me who conducted the poll. It’s not even linked to on Miller’s own website. I would try to contact the Tea Party Express, but every link on the group’s website takes you back to the homepage where you’re asked to donate, including the link for “Contact” information.

Miller, an attorney with little name recognition, recently got the stamp of approval from former half-term Republican Gov. Sarah Palin, which may account for a jump in the polls. On Monday, he also gained the backing of former Arkansas governor and one-time presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, which may give him an additional boost in certain conservative circles (and, as Politico points out, it’s not often that a candidate gets an endorsement from both Palin and Huckabee). The Tea Party Express has made Miller their top priority candidate, along with Nevada candidate Sharron Angle. The group is already running ads in the state attacking “liberal” Lisa Murkowski, and have pledged to spend “hundreds of thousands of dollars” backing Miller in the race.

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the Tea Party Express is using this new “poll” to ramp up the fundraising push for Miller. From the email they sent out yesterday, which is also reprinted here:

During this year the Tea Party Express has helped boost a lot of conservative constitutionalists in key races across the country.

Thanks to your support that looks to be happening once again. One month ago polls showed Liberal RINO, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, with a lead of 32-points over her conservative challenger, tea party hero Joe Miller.

This past weekend we learned of a new poll of 1,223 Alaska voters that showed Joe Miller has now jumped 23-points, and now trails Sen. Murkowski by only 9%.

The election is just 15-days away (August 24th) and we have a chance to win this race and replace a Liberal U.S. Senator (Murkowski) with a conservative patriot (Joe Miller). We need your help now more than ever as we’re going to give it everything we’ve got. We’re going to launch a massive radio and TV advertising campaign but we’ve got to raise $150,000 more in the next 4 days to pay for it.

The poll could be legit, and if it is, perhaps Murkowski has something to be concerned about in the coming primary. But I’ll remain skeptical until I see some sort of evidence the poll actually exists.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate