McSally says Fox News poll showing her 13 points down is 'stupid'

Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) took a page out of Donald Trump’s playbook on Thursday, when she dismissed a new Fox News poll that shows her down 13 points to her likely Democratic opponent, astronaut Mark Kelly.

“My people tell me that poll is totally jacked up,” McSally said in a Fox Business interview when asked about Kelly’s “big lead” in the survey.

“Look at the turnout model. It’s like double-digits more Democrats than even came out in 2018. Either way, it’s a stupid poll, Stuart.”

McSally’s dismissal — claiming that pollsters surveyed a lopsided amount of one party — is a common refrain among Republicans when candidates are trailing, but it has been debunked by political polling experts.

It’s akin to Trump’s practice of calling polls that shows him losing “fake.”

Fox News’ poll, which showed McSally losing to Kelly 37% to 50%, was the second in a month to show McSally trailing Kelly by double digits. A survey from OH Predictive Insights in May showed McSally trailing Kelly, 38% to 51%.

McSally — who was appointed to fill the seat of the late Sen. John McCain in 2019 after losing Arizona’s other Senate seat just months before — is a top Democratic target in 2020.

In order to win a Senate majority, Democrats must net three seats if they win the presidency, or four seats if Trump wins reelection.

Political handicappers rate McSally’s race a toss-up.

However, recent polls are pointing to a grimmer picture for McSally.

Kelly currently holds a 9.8% lead over McSally in the RealClearPolitics average.

In 2018, when McSally was running for the Arizona Senate seat vacated by now-former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), the final RealClearPolitics average showed McSally with a 1% lead over her Democratic opponent, Kyrsen Sinema. Sinema went on to win by 2.3%.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.