Dem Takes Big Lead In Alabama

A statewide poll of Alabama voters found Democrat Don Siegelman holding a big lead over Gov. Fob James.

The New York Times Regional Newspapers in Tuscaloosa, Gadsden and Florence commissioned the poll and reported the results Sunday. The poll findings:

Sixty percent of the respondents said they would vote for Siegelman and 35 percent said they would vote for James, with 5 percent saying they were either undecided or did not know.

Siegelman was the favorite of 57 percent of the respondents who identified themselves as independents.

Thirty-three percent of those polled who identified themselves as Republicans said they would vote for Siegelman, while 12 percent of the Democrats polled said they would vote for James, who was elected governor as a Democrat in 1978.

Eighty-eight percent of the blacks and 54 percent of the whites polled said they would vote for Siegelman.

The poll also found that James was most popular among men, people over 61 years old, those with a high school education or less, voters who go to church five times or more a month and people who take the Bible literally as the word of God.

Siegelman was the favorite among women, people 18 to 40 years old, voters with post-college educations, people with incomes of less than $30,000, those who attend church one to three times a month and people who don't believe the Bible is the literal word of God.

James got only 10 percent of the black vote and 42 percent of the white vote. If the numbers hold true, James, who has counted on heavy white support in the past, could be in trouble.

Siegelman also got higher positives than James, 57 percent to 41 percent.

The poll was conducted by Southern Opinion Research of Tuscaloosa questioned 500 registered voters by telephone Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The poll has a 5 percentage point margin of error.

Â"Governor James has an awfully steep mountain to climb right now,Â" Jim Stovall, co-director of Southern Opinion Research, said Saturday.

Stovall said the race could still turn in James' favor, given the governor's history of coming from behind to win.

Â"There are still 10 days to go to the election, and I don't know what's going to happen,Â" Stovall said. Â"I would certainly expect the results of the election would be closer than these numbers indicate.Â"

Siegelman campaign spokesman Rick Dent said internal polling has found a smaller margin.

Â"This is going to be a close race, make no mistake about it and our people have to vote,Â" Dent said.

James' campaign spokesman Donald Claxton said Southern Opinion Research poll results published the weekend before the June 30 runoff didn't anticipate James' 12-point win over opponent Winton Blount.

Â"Our numbers are showing the race has tightened and we're looking for a good time on election night,Â" Claxton said.

He said internal polls show Sigelman leading, but so has every other poll prior to a James' election.