Published: November 02, 2008 09:00 am      

Latest poll shows Hill's lead is growing in Indiana 9th District

Sodrel believes Election Day is 'only poll that counts'

Letting up isn’t part of the plan for U.S. Rep. Baron Hill, despite a poll released Friday showing his lead over Republican Mike Sodrel in the Ninth District race has grown to 13 percent.

According to the Associated Press, a poll conducted by WISH-TV shows Hill with a 53 percent to 40 percent lead over Sodrel. These numbers come a few days before the election.

The poll was taken from Oct. 24 through Tuesday and has a margin of error plus or minus 5 percentage points, the AP reported.

It was a telephone poll conducted by Maryland-based Research 2000 that included 400 likely voters.

Katie Moreau, spokeswoman for Hill, said the incumbent will be touring the 20 counties in the Ninth District and campaigning like they’re behind instead of ahead.

“This district changes and fluctuates so much you can’t really rely on polls,” she said in a telephone interview Friday. “We’re only going to focus on the poll on Election Day and keep working hard.”

Sodrel points to thousands of Sarah Palin supporters who showed up at a Jeffersonville rally Wednesday as proving Republican support is high in the area.

“[The rally] is a more timely indication of voter enthusiasm than any poll. The only poll that counts is this coming Tuesday,” Sodrel stated in a news release.

“We are confident that Southern Indiana will reject Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Baron Hill on Election Day.”

A similar poll taken in early October showed Hill with a 49 percent to 37 percent edge over Sodrel, according to the AP.