SRLC: SoonerPoll Chosen For 2016 GOP Straw Poll
SoonerPoll will survey GOP conference in Oklahoma City to measure early momentum in presidential race
by Chris Casteel
WASHINGTON — Southern Republicans attending this week’s political conference in Oklahoma City will get a chance to show which presidential candidates they favor in a straw poll being conducted by a local firm.
“It won’t necessarily show the ultimate winner, but it at least shows early momentum” in a race with no clear front-runner, said Bill Shapard, CEO of SoonerPoll, which will conduct the survey at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference.
Shapard, of Oklahoma City, is intent on getting the 2,000 conference participants to complete the online survey. They’ll get a code in their registration packets. They’ll receive texts reminding them to vote. And Shapard will have staff members circulating with tablets offering to help people complete the short poll right then and there.
Those voting can choose from among more than a dozen of the announced and potential GOP presidential candidates, including a few who are not attending.