Wyoming Senate Poll: Enzi Leads Cheney by 52 Points

Liz Cheney continues to lose ground in her campaign to unseat incumbent Wyoming Republican Sen. Mike Enzi, according to an internal poll commissioned by a super PAC running ads against her.

According to the survey of 400 likely Republican voters in the state, Enzi now leads Cheney in the GOP primary race by a 69 percent to 17 percent margin. The poll taken by The Wickers Group Oct. 25-28 showed the senator extending his lead by 12 points from a poll at the end of August giving him a 61 percent to 21 percent margin of support over Cheney, Politico reported.

Cheney's favorability rating has also dropped, according to the survey. In August, 42 percent of likely primary voters viewed her favorably. By the end of October, her favorability rating had dropped to 29 percent. In the October poll 37 percent said they view her unfavorably.

Brittany Wells, Cheney's communications director, dismissed the survey outright, noting that The Wickers Group had inaccurately predicted that Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas would lose his race last year.

"This is the same firm that had David Dewhurst leading Ted Cruz 51-16 a few weeks out," Wells told Politico. "Considering that history, we feel very good about the chances of seeing Liz Cheney elected to the U.S. Senate next year."

According to Politico, the Wicker poll was commissioned by American Principles Fund, a conservative group run by Sarah Huckabee Sanders, daughter of former GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. American Principles has spent over $140,000 on TV ads attacking Cheney's view on gay marriage.

Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, has a sister who is openly gay. Cheney has said the issue of same-sex marriage should be left to each state to decide on its own.

Cheney's primary challenge has created a split within the Republican Caucus in the Senate, where Enzi remains popular among most of his colleagues but has been criticized by conservatives as too willing to compromise with the Democrats.

Cheney has not polled well since entering the race in July. A survey conducted then by Harper Polling in July showed Enzi with 55 percent support to her 21 percent. The same poll put Enzi's favorability rating with state voters at 76 percent.

Related Stories:

Liz Cheney: Obama Lies Because He Thinks He Won't Get Caught
Liz Cheney's Senate Campaign Hit by 'Dirty Tricks' Poll