Moore camp claims lead in GOP primary

In what the campaign called a major announcement, campaign officials speaking for former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore said he was leading all of the other Republican candidates for governor and called on those with polls supporting that to release them.
Moore was not at the Friday press conference on the Capitol steps.
His campaign manager, James Henderson, and spokeswoman, Suzelle Josey, said he was leading in polls conducted by the Christian Coalition of Alabama, the Alabama Education Association, Alfa, and World Net Daily.
Henderson said the campaign had not conducted a poll. He said there were great organizations conducting polling.
The campaign manager said they had not seen the polling they discussed, but had seen statements from other candidates, officials and credible sources talking about the polls.
"These polls confirm Judge Moore has a commanding lead in the race for governor," Henderson said.
He said the candidate has a lead because he is a true leader and people know he will follow through on his commitments. Henderson said Moore is the man to lead the push for economic development and ethics reform, and to defend people’s constitutional rights.
Henderson also said Moore was the only Republican who could win in November.
Josey said the politicians and special interests are "running scared." When asked, she said Moore was at a prior engagement.
Moore, after running statewide as a candidate for governor and chief justice and after the fight over the 10 Commandments monument at the State Judicial Building, does have high name recognition in Alabama.
Randy Brinson, chairman of the Christian Coalition of Alabama, said the poll was not scientific, but that those who responded would be highly motivated. He said people on the organization's mailing list received an e-mail that allowed them to go to a site and vote. About 1,600 people responded.
In the CCA polling, Moore has remained the leader with somewhere between 25 and 35 percent of the votes. Greenville businessman Tim James has remained consistent at about 18 percent and former two two-year college system Chancellor Bradley Byrne dropped from second to fifth with about 11 percent of the vote.
State Rep. Robert Bentley of Tuscaloosa surged from single digits to second place with almost 22 percent of the vote.
Brinson said there has been a trend in the last eight months with more people moving away from the undecided category and selecting their candidate.
He said the participation is obviously from religious conservatives. More than 84 percent of the people who responded said they were Republican. Less than 8 percent identified themselves as Democrats.
Those Democrats who did respond favored Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks over U.S. Rep. Artur Davis of Birmingham 57 percent to 43 percent.

-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen