Henry's Re-Elect Bid

Henry Running Strong in OK Statehouse Re-Elect Bid: In an election for Governor in Oklahoma today, 8/28/06, incumbent Democrat Brad Henry defeats Republican challenger Ernest Istook 60% to 34%, according to a SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for KFOR-TV Oklahoma City. 34% of Republican voters cross over to vote for the Democrat Henry. Henry leads by 41 points among women and by 12 points among men, a 29-point "gender gap." Henry leads 8:1 among Democrats and 2:1 among Independents. Henry leads by 18:1 among liberals. Istook leads by only 2:1 among conservatives. The lower the voter turnout, the closer the contest. The election is on 11/7/06. Henry was first elected in 2002, defeating Republican Steve Largent. SurveyUSA was the only pollster to forecast Henry's win in 2002. Henry's 69% Job Approval Rating in SurveyUSA's most recent monthly tracking poll, makes Henry the 7th most popular governor in the country. Istook is leaving the U.S. Congress after 7 terms representing Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District.