KY-Sen: Mongiardo Posts Big Lead Over Conway in Own Poll

Garin Hart Yang for Dan Mongiardo (5/12-13, registered Democrats):

Dan Mongiardo (D): 43

Jack Conway (D): 28

Undecided: 29

(MoE: ±5.4%)

The Conway camp is raising a big stink over this poll, correctly pointing to the methodology’s rather portly margin of error. However, this is the first poll we’ve seen of the primary, and it’s not at all inconceivable that Mongiardo would be starting the race in the lead; a February poll from Research 2000 indicated that Mongiardo has stronger name recognition throughout the state, with only 5% of Democrats not having an opinion of him compared to 24% for Conway.

Meanwhile, the Democratic primary continues to be lively:

Conway is scheduled to attend a Saturday night fundraiser at the Fort Mitchell home of Nathan Smith, the former vice chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party. [Mongiardo spokesman Kim] Geveden noted that the suggested contributions for the event are $250 to attend the fundraiser, but for $1,000 contributors can attend a “private conversation” with Conway.

“If Jack is charging $1,000 for a private conversation I can’t imagine what it would cost if he was ever elected U.S. Senator,” Geveden said in an interview. “You don’t have to pay $1 much less $1,000 to have a private conversation with Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo.”

Only another year of this. Sigh.