The survey of 503 Indiana voters found Donald Trump leading Hillary Clinton by 14 points for president. However, the generic ballot for governor was split, with Republicans up only 2 points. Hypothetical matchups showed all 3 potential Republican candidates for governor trailing the Democratic nominee. However, when voters were provided information about Susan Brooks' accomplishments and bipartisan approach, her support increased by 7 points and she took the lead over the Democrat. The survey concluded that Susan Brooks was uniquely suited to lead Indiana Republicans to victory in November.
Indiana Voters Survey Finds Brooks Best Positioned for Governor
1. The Tarrance Group
201 North Union Street, Suite 410
Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 684-6688
1
MEMORANDUM
TO: Susan for Indiana
FROM: B.J. Martino
DATE: July 23, 2016
RE: Key Findings from a Survey of Voters in Indiana
The Tarrance Group is pleased to present Susan for Indiana with the summary findings
from a survey of voter attitudes in Indiana, based on a sample of N=503 registered voters.
Responses to this survey were gathered July 20-21, 2016. The margin of error is + 4.4%
in 95 out of 100 cases.
Executive Summary
While Donald Trump at the top of the ticket is well ahead on the ballot, Indiana voters are
less definitive about their choice for Governor and are generically split. All three
potential Republican candidates for Governor trail the Democratic nominee in this poll.
Our nominee matters. The results of our poll clearly indicate that Susan Brooks is
uniquely suited to lead Indiana Republicans to victory in the Fall. Her profile and record
are widely popular with broad swaths of the electorate, and particularly appealing to
critical segments that will determine the outcome of the race for Governor.
Without testing a single negative message about Gregg, voters respond well to the
positive Brooks message and switch to her on the ballot. Among the biggest movers on
the ballot were married and independent women, two critical groups of voters in the
upcoming election. Ballot movement occurred statewide due to the messages, including
in the critical Indianapolis media market.
Key Findings
The Presidential Election- Strong At The Top
Over the final two days of the Republican convention, Indiana voters are giving Donald
Trump and Mike Pence a fourteen-point lead over Hillary Clinton and her running mate,
50% to 36%. Fully 40% say they are definitely voting for Trump, while just 28% were
definitely for Clinton.
Trump leads Clinton by fully 25-points among men, and is in fact up 6-points with
women. This is also a significant over-performance among men when compared to the
current generic ballot for governor.
2. The Tarrance Group
201 North Union Street, Suite 410
Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 684-6688
2
The Gubernatorial Generic Ballot- A Close Race
While Trump cruises, voters are divided on which party they would prefer hold the
governor’s office. The Republican has a marginal 2-point edge, 43% to 41%, over the
Democrat.
The generic ballot for governor is lagging a bit due to lower partisan intensity, as well as
challenges with independents, especially independent women. Republican voters are at
only 75% support for a Republican candidate, while Democrats are 85% for their
candidate generically. And independents are overall nearly 2:1 currently for the
Democrat, and over 2:1 among independent women.
The Hypothetical Ballots for Governor- Far From Automatic
Three potential Republican nominees, Susan Brooks, Eric Holcomb, and Todd Rokita,
have similar name awareness among voters. All three potential nominees, however, are
down on the initial ballot versus John Gregg, when tested in a three-way race that
includes the libertarian.
► Susan Brooks is 5-points back from Gregg, 36% to 41%.
► Todd Rokita is also 5-points down to Gregg, 36% to 41%.
► Eric Holcomb is down 8-points, registering 34% on the ballot, with Gregg at 42%.
The results of these ballots clearly show that any Republican candidate will have start
from behind in the sprint to election day. Republicans need the right candidate, with the
right experience, and one able to run the right campaign.
Susan Brooks- A Singular Record That Resonates With Voters
Susan Brooks offers a unique and powerful profile to voters. As respondents were read
different aspects of her impressive record, reactions ranged up to fully 75% more
favorable to her.
Voters, specifically women voters, gravitate to her record as an accomplished leader and
someone qualified to take on tough jobs. Her ability to bring people and groups together
in order to accomplish goals is also a most welcome skill, including with the key
independent voters.
Voters who learned about Brooks propelled her to a 7-point lead. An astonishing 27% of
independent women changed their vote to Susan based on the positive information alone.
3. The Tarrance Group
201 North Union Street, Suite 410
Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 684-6688
3
At the same time, voters in the key Indianapolis media market move from evenly split
initially to a 10-point Brooks advantage after building a positive foundation.
It is important to note this significant movement occurred again with only positive
messaging, and no negatives on Gregg were tested.
Conclusion- Brooks Has The Right Record and Is Best Positioned to Win Election
With the Presidential race, there is a clear advantage. The race for Governor is not so
certain. Republicans have less of an advantage than they have faced in several election
cycles. The Republican nominee will need to make a strong case, run a solid campaign,
and appeal to key voters.
Susan Brooks has a record of running and winning challenging campaigns. She has a
history of accomplishment that voters in Indiana find highly attractive, especially those
key swing voter segments who will ultimately determine the outcome. Considering these
attributes alongside the challenges Republicans face in the Governor’s race, Susan
Brooks is the candidate best positioned for a sprint to the finish.
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