Poll Shows Oklahoma Rep. Istook Winner of GOP Senatorial Primary

Rep. Ernest Istook, R-Okla., will be a sure winner in a contest with Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humpheys if he enters the Republican primary for the senatorial nomination in the 2004 primary.

A confidential poll by Wilson Research Strategies done for the group Friends of Ernest Istook concludes that, based on an exhaustive samplings, "the Republican nomination is Istook's should he decide to seek it and ... Congressman Istook is the Republicans' best candidate to hold any open Senate seat in 2004."

The possibility that a Senate seat will be open is based on speculation that current GOP Sen. Don Nickles may not run for re-election. That speculation is fueled by Nickles' statement to Roll Call, the Capitol Hill publication, that he will not make a decision about running until April 2004.

The poll matched Istook against Humphreys and showed Istook as being far more familiar to voters than Humpheys. Fully 60 percent of the voters know enough about Istook to rate their opinion of him, against just 33 percent for Humphreys.

In a primary against Humpheys, the poll showed Istook with 59 percent of the GOP vote against 28 percent for Humpheys.

Speculation that Nickles will retire is based on the belief that he resents being shut out of his leadership role following the resignation of Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss. in late 2002. Nickles had been assistant minority leader before the GOP took control of the Senate after the 2002 elections and was expected to be Lott's right hand in the new Republican-led Senate.