South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) is the obvious favorite to win a second term in the governor’s house, according to a new poll from Emerson College Polling and The Hill, which shows her with an almost 20-point advantage over her Democratic opponent.
Noem received the surprising level of support in a poll of 1,500 highly likely general election voters in South Dakota.
Fifty-six percent of voters asked favor her reelection, while just 37 percent support Democrat Jamie Smith.
In addition Tracey Quint, a libertarian, is expected to receive only 3% of the total vote.
According to the study, Noem’s support has grown significantly since she was elected governor in 2018.
She defeated managed to defeat Democrat Billie Sutton by less than 4 percentage points that year.
The majority of those surveyed, 56 percent, maintain a good impression of Noem, while only 43 percent have a negative opinion of the incumbent governor.
Only 40% of respondents had a good impression of Smith, the minority leader of the South Dakota state House, while 47% have a negative opinion of him.
From October 19 to 21, the Emerson College-The Hill poll surveyed 1,500 highly likely general election voters. It had a plus or minus 2.4 percentage point margin of error.
In addition to Noem’s significant lead in the polls, it appears the two other major races in the state also appear as though they will be favoring Republicans.
Both GOP Senator John Thune and Rep Dusty Johnson appear to be on their way to winning both of their respective races.
[READ MORE: Democrats Trying to Prevent Surprise Senate Loss in Washington State]
