New OPB Poll Shows Support for Measure 97 Buckling Under Ad Onslaught

Survey by pollster DHM finds $3 biillion corporate tax hike losing ground rapidly.

A new poll released today by Oregon Public Broadcasting contains some surprises.

The poll of 600 conducted last week by DHM Research, shows just 43 percent of those surveyed say they will support Measure 97, the proposed $3 billion corporate tax increase. That's down dramatically from a previous DHM/OPB poll released Sept. 8, which showed 60 of those surveyed supported the measure.

Of the 43 percent who said they'd vote "yes" on Measure 97, about three-quarters said they were certain to do so, a finding consistent with a poll released by WW's news partner KATU-TV last week.

The decline in support for the tax increase comes after the opposition to the campaign, funded by large corporations such as Albertsons, Costco, Kroger and Lithia Motors, have spent nearly $17 million on ads.

Another surprise from today's poll: DHM found that former state Rep. Dennis Richardson (R-Central Point) leads Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian, a Democrat, in the secretary of state's race by a margin of 34 percent to 29 percent. The poll has a margin of error of 4 percent and 24 percent of those surveyed said they are undecided, so it's still anybody's race.

Oregon hasn't elected a Republican in a state-wide race 2002, when U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) won and hasn't elected a Republican secretary of state since Norma Paulus won in 1980.

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