Congresswoman Janice Hahn and Congresswoman Laura Richardson
8:30am | The results of a recent poll show current 36th District Congresswoman Janice Hahn enjoying nearly a two-to-one lead over current 37th District Congresswoman Laura Richardson in the race for the newly redistricted 44th Congressional District. The new district includes Carson, Compton, parts of Long Beach, Lynwood, San Pedro, South Gate, Walnut Park, Watts, Wilmington, and Willowbrook.
The survey, conducted by the Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3) between August 4 and 7, polled 300 “likely voters” regarding whom they currently favor for seat, which will be contested in the June 2012 statewide primary election.
The poll shows Assemblymember Isodore Hall, III running a distant third, with nearly 70 percent of respondents stating they have never heard of Hall or don’t know enough about him to have an opinion. The poll also shows Hahn leading Hall by 13 percentage points in Hall’s assembly district.
An FM3 memo discussing the poll results states that Hahn “is viewed favorably by nearly 60 percent of likely voters, while Richardson receives favorable reviews from just 37 percent. Among African Americans, Hahn has the higher favorable rating as well, at 74 percent (to Richardson’s 68%). Hahn also leads Richardson in areas that should be Richardson’s home base. In the portion of the district that Richardson currently represents in Congress, Hahn leads by 11 points, 43-to-32 percent. In the portion of district that Richardson previously represented in the State Assembly, Hahn holds an overwhelming 33-point lead (55%-22%).”
Hahn is the only one of the three candidates currently residing in the new 44th Congressional District. “I know many of these communities, and I understand the issues that affect them,” Hahn said previously. “I have fought for, and represented much of this district for well over a decade.”
The FM3 memo seems to indicate that the poll may have focused more on Hahn than on Richardson or Hall, as it discusses the respondents’ favorable assessments of Hahn’s father Kenny Hahn, a former Los Angeles County supervisor. “To this day, the late Kenny Hahn remains particularly well regarded in this area for his involvement in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s,” says the memo. “In fact, he has 75 percent name recognition in this district, with a 65 percent favorable rating.”
Language in the FM3 memo may be seen as promoting Hahn’s candidacy. “The results show that Janice Hahn is in a strong position to win the election in the 44th Congressional District where her personal service to the area and her family’s over 50 years of service are well-remembered and well-regarded,” the memo states. “Her strong favorable ratings and current lead across the district give her a substantial head-start that should carry significant momentum into November regardless of her opponent.”
In response to the poll, Richardson suggested to the Long Beach Post that the poll is not unbiased, and that it is simply too early for such forecasting.
“With almost a year (ten months) before the 2012 primary, this election will not be about 22% undecided voters reflected in a campaign-paid internal poll or a self-imposed wish to turn a congressional seat into a family inheritance,” said Richardson in a statement released by her office. “Rather, the people who live in the 44th Congressional District will choose their representative based on their understanding of the issues and an ability to deliver results, which I look forward to continuing to build upon with the over 50% of my constituents in the new 44th Congressional District that I have served for the last four years.”
Long Beach Post has requested information from FM3 concerning which individual(s) or organization(s) commissioned this poll, but has as yet received no response.