Transcript Staff Writer

Oklahoma voters are beginning to make up their minds and they're tilting left -- at least that's what two new polls are saying.

Surveys done in mid- and late August, show incumbent Governor Brad Henry and Democratic state Rep. Jari Askins leading their Republican challengers.

A SurveyUSA poll -- conducted for Okahoma City television station KFOR and released Aug. 28 -- shows Henry ahead of Istook 60 percent to 34 percent. Henry, the poll says, leads by 41 points among women voters and by 12 points among men voters. Istook leads only among coservative voters.

A second poll, conducted Aug. 15 by Rasmussen Reports, shows Henry with similar numbers. According to the Rasmussen poll, Henry leads 54 percent to Istook's 33 percent.

That poll also had Henry drawing large percentages of the Democratic vote -- 83 percent to Istook's 27 pecent -- and showed Istook with an unfavorable ranking of 18 percent compaired to Henry's unfavorable of 7 percent.

Thomas Larson, director of communications for the Henry campaign, said Henry's numbers reflect the fact "Oklahomans are very happy" with the job the govenor is doing. "He (Henry) puts the state's interest first," Larson said, "and that's shown."

Istook's campaign downplayed the results but predicted they would change.

Derek Kern, Istook's campaign spokesman, said the race's numbers would tighten "as the congressman gets out and talks to more and more Oklahomans about repealing Govenor Henry's proposal to give free tuition to illegal immigrants."

Kern said Oklahomans were "furious" with Henry over his immigration policy. "Those poll number will shrink as more and more people get to hear our message."

However, Larson said the Henry camp has yet to witness the public's fury. "That's not something we've seen," he said. "People are telling the governor they appreciate his work and his policy on immigration."

In the lieutenant governor's race, SurveyUSA showed Rep. Jari Askins with a six-point lead over House Speaker Todd Hiett -- 48 percent to 42 percent. The poll showed Askins drawing major support from women voters, but trailing by eight points among males.

Askins said she was happy with the results and expects them to improve.

"I'm very pleased to see a scientific survey showing us out front," she said. "I think our lead will grow as my opponent and I debate the issues and Oklahomans become more aware of the differences in our legislative records and of our goals for Oklahoma's future."

Askins said the fact she's drawing support from "across the board" is proof her message is working.

"I am honored to be receiving support from Republicans as well as Democrats," she said. "I think that support is a result of my belief that as elected officials it is our duty to avoid extreme partisanship and work together to accomplish great things for all Oklahomans."

Hiett questioned the poll's accuracy.

"I question a poll that has 90 percent of voters already decided if it would be accurate," he said Wednesday evening after a speech in Norman. "However, if it is accurate, that's a good sign for me to be that close. The state is 2 to 1 registration (Democrats to Republican), so for me to be that close at this point in the election would be a very good sign."

The SurveyUSA poll used live interviews of 519 likely voters and has a sampling error of plus or minus 4.5 percent. The Rasmussen poll used "robo calls" and did not use live interviewers; it, too, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percent.

Yet, polling isn't the only area where Henry and Askins are doing well.

State campaign filings show both Henry and Askins with more cash on hand than their opponents. According to the state Ethics Commission reports, Henry has $2,417,335 available to Istook's $29,354.

In the lieutenant governor's race, Askins is sitting on $251,724 to Hiett's $88,851.

Both Henry and Askins are running television commercials, and sources in both camps say the commercials will continue "until the November election."

Istook's campaign is not currently advertising on television. Instead, Istook is using "face to face" retail-style to take his mesage to the public, his spokesman said. "We'll be on the air soon," Kern said. "But right now we are campaigning person to person."

Kern said Istook and his wife, Judy, have toured 27 counties since July. He said Istook plans to tour all 77 of the state's counties prior to election day. Locally, Kern said Istook staffers and volunteers are also working before and after OU home football games to distribute literature and touch base with voters.

Larson said Henry's staff also would work the tailgate crowd at Sooner football games. "Right now I can't tell you if the governor himself will be there, but we will have staff and supporters at the games," he said.

M. Scott Carter 366-3545 scarter@normantranscript.com