A new survey by Public Policy Polling (D) shows that Rep. John Spratt (D-SC), a 14-term Democrat from a district that has reliably voted Republican for president, is facing a tough fight this year.
Spratt was tested against two Republican candidates, and comes in under the 50-percent support mark in each match. He leads state Sen. Mick Mulvaney by 46%-39%, and leads college professor and 2008 nominee Albert Spencer by 46%-37%. President Obama’s approval rating in the district is 46%, to 49% disapproval, while Spratt’s own approval numbers are at 41%-42%. The margin of error is ±4%.
“John Spratt is going to have to fight for reelection but he’s in better shape than a lot of southern Democrats in conservative districts,” said PPP president Dean Debnam, in the polling memo. “Most of his constituents still see him as a centrist, even as they see his Congressional Democratic brethren as too liberal.”