While TJ Donovan, a candidate for Vermont attorney general in the Democratic primary, has often said he will stick to positive campaign messages and refrain from downtalking his opponent, incumbent AG Bill Sorrell, a recent poll paid for by the Donovan campaign crossed the line, some Sorrell supporters say. Donovan’s campaign says the survey was not a “push poll.” Paul Heintz reported on the squabble in his Fair Game column for Seven Days this week.
“From the second or third question it became obvious what was going on,” says Neil Marinello, a retired psychologist from Woodstock who favors Sorrell over rival T.J. Donovan, the Chittenden County state’s attorney. “It was very clearly pushing people away from Sorrell and toward Donovan.”
The Donovan campaign did not provide evidence it wasn’t a push poll, however.
Donovan’s campaign declined to reveal the polling results — which they claim showed a “tight race” — or the wording of the poll’s questions, calling it “internal” information.
Update August 2, 9:30 a.m.: This story was updated to reflect that the Donovan campaign refused to provide results or the poll questions.
