RasmussenReport:Beahear51-Fletcher35

KentuckyGovernorErnieFletcher(R)survivedaseriousPrimarychallengetoonceagainclaimhisparty’snomination.ButtheGovernorstartsthegeneralelectioncampaignasa16-percentagepointunderdog.FormerLt.GovernorStevenBeshear(D)leadsFletcher51%to35%inthefirstRasmussenReportstelephonesurveyofthe2007KentuckyGovernor’srace.

TheremnantsofadivisivePrimarybattleforFletchercanbeseeninthefactthathecurrentlyearnssupportfromjust63%ofRepublicans.Twenty-fivepercent(25%)ofGOPpartyvotersplantocrosspartylinesandvotefortheDemocraticchallenger.Beshearleadsbyelevenpointsamongmenandtwentypointsamongwomen.

Just15%ofKentuckyvotershaveaVeryFavorableopinionofFletcherwhile23%haveaVeryUnfavorableview.ForBeshear,17%haveaVeryFavorableopinionwhile8%expressaVeryUnfavorableopinion.

Fletcher,electedin2003onapromiseto"cleanupthemessinFrankfort",wasindictedayearagoinanallegedschemetorewardpoliticalsupporterswithprotectedstatejobs.Fletchercalledtheindictmentapoliticalwitchhuntandtheindictmentwasdismissedinanegotiatedsettlementwithprosecutors.

Beshear,alawyerandveteranpolitician,hasnothadhisnameonageneralelectionballotsincehelostaSenateracetoMitchMcConnellin1996.