TV news poll shows Pritzker leading Rauner by 16 points

A new poll shows Democrat J.B. Pritzker with a double-digit lead — 16 points ahead of Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner with just 77 days before the November election.

The poll, commissioned by NBC News and the Marist Institute for Public Opinion found Pritzker with 46 percent compared to Rauner’s 30 percent when registered voters were asked who they’d vote for if the election were held today. Pritzker, the billionaire philanthropist and political newcomer, was leading in Cook County, north, central and southern Illinois. Rauner, however, led in the collar counties, the poll found.

Libertarian candidate Grayson “Kash” Jackson received 6 percent, with state Sen. Sam McCann, running as “Conservative Party” candidate, receiving 4 percent. Thirteen percent were undecided.

The poll found 45 percent of men surveyed supported Pritzker, with 31 percent supporting Rauner. For women, 46 percent said they support Pritzker, compared to 29 percent of women in support of Rauner.

In another question, respondents were asked if they strongly support, somewhat support or might vote differently on Election Day. Among Pritzker supporters, the survey found 13 percent said they might vote differently and 3 percent were unsure. Among Rauner supporters, 10 percent said they might vote differently, and 3 percent were unsure.

The poll also asked about Rauner’s favorability. Twenty-seven percent of registered voters said they had a favorable view, with 55 percent saying they had an unfavorable view. For Pritzker, 41 percent said they had a favorable view, and 36 percent said they had an unfavorable view.

Poll takers were also asked about how President Donald Trump is doing. Of registered voters, 56 percent said they disapproved of his performance, with 32 percent saying they approved.

The poll was conducted between August 12 and 16 of 831 people. Of those, 734 were registered voters. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 points for all surveyed and plus or minus 4.4 points for those who were registered voters.