Tim Johnson Holds Commanding Lead In Poll

Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) appears to be in strong position for re-election, according to a newly-released poll commissioned by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Johnson holds a commanding 70 to 19 percent lead over a potential GOP rival, former lieutenant governor Steve Kirby. Johnson’s approval ratings are very high: 72 percent of South Dakota said they had a favorable opinion of his performance in office, while only 25 percent disapproved.

The poll, conducted by the Feldman Group, surveyed 500 likely South Dakota voters from February 25-27, and has a 4.4 percent margin of error.

Kirby has been strongly considering running against Johnson, but hasn’t yet announced his intentions. As a partner in the venture capital firm Bluestem, he could partially self-fund a campaign, making him an attractive candidate to the cash-strapped Republicans’ Senatorial campaign committee.

Kirby’s political track record, though, has been far from impressive: He lost a three-way primary to Gov. Mike Rounds in 2002, and also lost to former governor Bill Janklow in a 1994 GOP primary.

GOP state Rep. Joel Dykstra and businessman Sam Kephart have already filed to run for the Republican nomination. Neither is expected to offer Johnson a tough challenge in the general election.
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