Republican Kinder ahead of Democrat Koster in early Missouri governor poll

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/kevin-mcdermott/republican-kinder-ahead-of-democrat-koster-in-early-missouri-governor/article_cf65ca62-a197-5fb6-9b33-74bffc272641.html

"But the poll, by Public Policy Polling, also has some bad news for Republicans: Incumbent U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., who has been widely expected to decimate Democratic challenger Jason Kander in his re-election bid next year, is only 5 points ahead of the Democrat, and is looking at upside-down approval numbers."

"That said, the most telling thing in the poll is that it appears to finally hint at a Republican primary frontrunner in a field of (so far) seven announced or likely Republican candidates. Democrat Koster beats the other six GOP candidates in head-to-head matchups in the poll, pulling around 40 percent to their mid-30s in each race. But Kinder comes in with 40 percent to Koster's 37 percent."

"President Obama's approval/disapproval rates are way underwater, 36-59 percent — no surprise there, in a state that has shifted from generally purple to bright red over the past two national elections — but Blunt's 30-47 rating is ominous for an incumbent.

His challenger, Kander, currently Missouri's Secretary of State, isn't doing great either, with a 14-21 rating. But fully two-thirds of Missourians don't yet know who he is."