Poll: Dem Sorensen Leading Republican McGraw By 5 Heading into Final Day
Congressman Eric Sorensen (D-Moline) and Republican challenger Joe McGraw.
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A new poll out Monday morning from a Republican-leaning firm shows freshman Congressman Eric Sorensen (D-Moline) leading his Republican challenger, former Winnebago County Judge Joe McGraw in the battle for the 17th Congressional District, which covers a wide swath of northwestern Illinois.
The poll, by M3 Strategies, shows Sorensen leading McGraw 52%-47% in a “hybrid” poll, a combination of an exit poll of voters who have already cast their ballot and traditional likely voters who plan to vote on Election Day. The poll reports around 750 respondents.
Interestingly, Sorensen is outpacing Vice President Kamala Harris in the district. According to the poll, Harris leads former President Donald Trump 50%-48%.
President Biden’s 2020 numbers in the district outpaced Sorensen’s 2022 victory margin.
Speaking to The Illinoize Sunday, McGraw said he feels a different condition on the ground.
“We’re talking to people that have voted Democrat all their lives and now they’re not doing it anymore,” he said. “Now that they know who he is and what he is, they’re not voting for Sorensen. I’m sure it’s how things look from a certain altitude, but when you get down on the ground and go face-to-face and person-to-person, I’m getting a very different vibe.”
McGraw and Sorensen each zeroed in on the tiny Henry County community of Colona Sunday, as both candidates concurrently attended a pancake breakfast at the community fire station Sunday morning.
It was the rare face-to-face between the two candidates on the campaign trail.
McGraw recognizes he is the underdog in the race, but says he’s confident.
“My experience tells me that people are ready for change,” McGraw said. “The more folks we talk to, the more we discover that people are discarding the party stereotypes and looking for someone who really will represent the working man and woman in the district and that’s me.”
McGraw criticized Sorensen for failing to represent the district effectively.
“People who evaluate Sorensen find him to be lacking,” McGraw said. “He’s a rubber stamp, a puppet, who uses the district as a prop and looks down his nose condescendingly at the district. He’s not authentic, and they know it.”
Sorensen has attacked McGraw repeatedly for a comment he made about praying over a case file before making a ruling and for accepting a plea agreement that avoided jail time for a child porn conviction.
“It’s completely, blatantly false,” McGraw said. “The prosecutor and the defense attorney worked out a plea agreement before the case ever got to me. The state dismissed four charges [that would have resulted in prison] for pleading guilty to two probation charges.”
As for praying over cases, McGraw said he doesn’t deny it and doesn’t apologize for praying for guidance.
The Illinoize has repeatedly attempted to arrange an interview with Sorensen since October 18. His campaign never returned calls, text messages, or e-mails seeking time with the Sorensen.