Published:Tuesday, October 19, 2004 3:23 PM PDT
Serving the South Coast of Oregon

Polls conflict in Oregon
Tuesday, October 19, 2004 3:23 PM PDT

SALEM (AP) - With two weeks remaining before Election Day, the presidential race in Oregon remains as volatile as ever.

Underscoring that are two polls conducted in the state last week, one of which showed President Bush narrowly leading Democrat John Kerry, and another that gave a similar edge to Kerry.

A survey of 400 voters conducted by Portland pollster Mike Riley had Bush over Kerry, 48 percent to 43 percent. The poll, which was released Sunday, had a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points - statistically placing the candidates even.

But a poll of 600 Oregon voters taken last week by the American Research Group of Manchester, N.H., showed Kerry leading Bush, 49 percent to 44 percent. That survey, which was released last Friday, had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

The opposing groups working for the two presidential contenders said they aren't placing too much stock in the polls at this point and are continuing aggressive efforts to turn out their voters.

Last week, there was a report that Bush's campaign advisers privately were conceding that Oregon has moved comfortably to Kerry's side of the ledger.

But Oregon Republican Chairman Kevin Mannix said a campaign visit by the president to Oregon last week and by his daughters this week show that the Bush-Cheney campaign hasn't written off Oregon.

"We are still very much a battleground state," Mannix said. "In fact, I think that the two most recent polls indicate that it is a neck-and-neck race. We have certainly understood that all along."


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