A new Insider Advantage/Statehouse Report poll shows that South Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley still has a big lead in the June 8 primary — even after allegations surfaced of a possible extra-marital affair.
The poll shows Haley leading with 31.3%, followed by Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer with 20.7%, Rep. Graham Barrett with 14.1%, and Attorney General Henry McMaster with 13.8%.
The newest poll was conducted Tuesday night — well after blogger Will Folks went public with his claims of having an affair with Haley. Haley has denied Folks’ allegations.
An earlier PPP poll conducted before allegations of the affair surfaced also showed Haley with a big lead. The TPM Poll Average shows Haley leading in the primary with 28.0%, followed by McMaster at 18.0%, Bauer with 15.7% and Barrett with 15.3%.
While the latest poll was conducted after Folks’ initial allegations, it still predates some subsequent developments — like Folks releasing text messages about the claimed affair, announcing that a “compromising” photo exists of he and Haley, and releasing phone records of calls between he and Haley.
