The Democratic candidates for governor are tightly bunched with no clear leader, according to a new Rasmussen Reports poll.
State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex of Fairfield County and state Sen. Vincent Sheheen of Kershaw County have the support of 16 percent of likely Democratic primary voters, according to the poll. State Sen. Robert Ford of Charleston registered 12 percent support.
The largest group of those polled -- 37 percent -- were undecided; 15 percent supported another, unnamed candidate.
Columbia attorney Dwight Drake, who dropped out of the race last week, registered 5 percent support.
Among Democratic candidates, Rex had the strongest support with 18 percent viewing him very favorably. Sheheen had the highest unfavorables, with 15 percent viewing him very unfavorably.
Democratic voters strongly disapprove of GOP Gov. Mark Sanford, with 76 percent disapproving and only 22 percent approving of his performance.
A Rasmussen poll released Monday found S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster of Columbia leading the four-way Republican race for governor.
McMaster scored the support of 21 percent of likely GOP primary voters, with Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer of Greenville second at 17 percent. U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett of Westminster registered 14 percent support while state Rep. Nikki Haley of Lexington had 12 percent.
But Rasmussen found the GOP race is still wide open, too, with 29 percent of voters undecided and 9 percent supporting other candidates.
Also notable is that more of those polled view Bauer very unfavorably, 21 percent, than view him very favorably, 11 percent. The poll also showed that 59 percent of likely Republican voters approved of the job that Sanford is doing, while 39 percent disapprove.
The poll results mirror what campaigns have said their internal polls have shown for weeks.
The Democratic and GOP primaries are June 8.
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