The full text of the poll is online at http://www.selu.edu/news/US_Senate_Poll.html. Dr. Corbello is available for comment from 9:15 to 11 a.m. and after 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29.  If you would like to receive the poll by fax or arrange an interview with Dr. Corbello, please give us a call.

SOUTHEASTERN POLL INDICATES LANDRIEU LEADING SIGNIFICANTLY IN SENATORIAL RACE
      HAMMOND – U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) maintains a significant lead over her opponents in the upcoming senatorial election, but it remains uncertain whether she can win the race outright in the primary, according to a statewide poll of registered voters conducted by Southeastern Louisiana University.
      Landrieu received 43.5 percent of the voters surveyed in the poll, conducted by Kurt Corbello, associate professor of political science, and the university’s Florida Parishes Social Science Research Center. A total of 537 registered voters were interviewed randomly between October 18-24 on the Senate race and President George W. Bush’s handling of the economy and foreign policy. The poll has a sampling error of plus or minus 4.3 percent.
      In the survey, Terrell received 14.9 percent of the vote and Cooksey received 10.4 percent. Louisiana Representative Tony Perkins (R-LA) trailed the three major candidates with 4.9 percent of the vote. Other candidates received a total of 7.1 percent of the vote, while nearly one-fifth (19.1 percent) of the voters polled were undecided or refused to state a preference.
      “If Senator Landrieu is forced into a runoff, the opponent likely would be either Republican candidates Suzanne Terrell or U.S. Representative John Cooksey,” Corbello said.
      While Landrieu has a comfortable lead heading into the primary, Corbello said turnout will be a crucial factor in determining whether she can avoid a runoff election in December.
      The preference for Landrieu extends into most demographic categories. The survey indicates she is the preferred candidate among black voters (70 percent), Democrats (63 percent), white voters (33 percent), white males (41 percent) and white females (45 percent). Among independent voters, Landrieu leads with 63 percent.
      Terrell is the preference among Republican voters polled with 31.8 percent. Cooksey follows with 18.8 percent and Landrieu with 13.9 percent. Perkins is the choice of 3.4 percent of Republicans.
      Regarding the nation’s economy, 56.6 percent of those polled either approved or strongly approved of the President’s handling of the economy. Nearly one-third (30.4 percent) expressed disapproval, while 13 percent did not know or refused to answer.
      In the area of foreign policy, 57.1 percent of those surveyed expressed approval for the President’s general handling of foreign policy. However, when voters were asked whether the United States should act alone against Iraq or should act only with the United Nations, more than half (51.5percent) expressed support for acting with the U.N., while 28.8 percent either believe or strongly believe the nation should act independently. Two percent of the voters stated the U.S. should not act at all against Iraq, while 17.7 percent did not know or refused to answer.