Lieberman leads in South Carolina poll

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON --
Presidential candidate Joe Lieberman maintained a slim lead among likely Democratic primary voters in South Carolina, according to a survey released Friday.

The Connecticut senator had 13 percent support to 8 percent for Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri and Al Sharpton, according to the poll conducted by the Zogby Group. A larger percentage of South Carolinians - 42 percent - remain undecided.

John Edwards, a senator from neighboring North Carolina, and Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts had 5 percent support. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean was at 4 percent, and Sen. Bob Graham of Florida and former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun were at 3 percent. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio was at zero percent.

Most of the campaigns acknowledged the polls only mean so much six months before the state's first-in-the-South primary Feb. 3.

But "every time South Carolina voters have been surveyed this year, Joe Lieberman has come out on top," said Lieberman campaign spokesman Adam Kovachevich. "He feels a kinship with South Carolina Democrats who, like him, are independently minded, committed to civil rights and are in favor of strong defense."

An American Research Group poll in April showed Lieberman with a 10-point lead over his closest rivals. A Zogby poll in March had showed Lieberman and Gephardt sharing the lead, with both in the low teens.

The latest Zogby poll of 501 likely primary voters was conducted July 26-30 and has an error margin of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

South Carolina holds its primary Feb. 3.

Last modified: August 01. 2003 7:29PM