Straw poll indicates loyalty to Gibbons in Douglas County

Republicans in Douglas County who voted in a straw poll on Friday say they want to stick with Gov. Jim Gibbons in the upcoming party primary.

Gibbons was the choice of 58 of 121 votes cast, 48 percent, at a meeting of the Douglas County Republican Central Committee, according to a campaign press release.

Former North Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montandon won 43 votes, 36 percent, and former federal judge Brian Sandoval, the leader in statewide public opinion polls, got 20 votes or 17 percent of the total.

Straw polls are unscientific surveys and the Douglas County poll runs counter to results from scientific, statewide polls. But it does show Gibbons -- whose "favorable" rating among Republicans in the most recent Mason-Dixon Polling & Research survey was 21 percent, compared to 27 percent who viewed him "unfavorably" -- has held the loyalty of some Republican voters.

When Mason-Dixon included voters from both major parties and independents, Gibbons' favorable rating was 15 percent compared to 54 percent who viewed the incumbent unfavorably.

Among Republicans in the latest Mason-Dixon survey Sandoval had a favorable rating of 37 percent and an unfavorable rating of 8 percent.