Romney for Senate? No, not that Romney

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers and attorney Scott Romney are in a statistical tie in the race for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, according to a Murray Communications-Portable Insights-Combat Data poll released today.

Former Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land was third.

Rogers is the Brighton Republican whose media spotlight expanded significantly when he became chair of the House Intelligence Committee.

Romney

Romney is the 71-year-old brother of Mitt Romney who was considered the frontrunner for the GOP nomination for attorney general in 1998 but lost out at the state convention to John Smietanka. He served on the MSU board from 2000-08.

The automated poll of 1,170 likely Republican primary voters was conducted on Monday in the wake of Democratic Sen. Carl Levin’s decision to retire in 2014.

The full results:

U.S. Rep Mike Rogers.....................31.11%

Atty Scott Romney........................29.74%

Former SOS Terri Lynn Land...............20.85%

U.S. Rep. Justin Amash...................11.62%

State Sen. Roger Kahn.....................3.59%

State Rep. Pete Lund......................2.05%

Former GOP chair Saul Anuzis..............1.03%

State Rep. Pete Lund of Shelby Township for senator? How did he sneak in there?

“Obviously the earth is still cooling from Senator Levin’s announcement, and the Republican field is not set. But this poll shows us who begins this race from a relative position of strength and who has a bit of a hill to climb,” said Brian Bellgowan of Combat Data.

“The poll is good news for U.S Rep. Mike Rogers,” said Christopher Mark of Portable Insights. “His support among likely Republican primary voters extends beyond his congressional district and puts him at a solid starting point in this race.”

“The Romney name clearly still resonates with Michigan’s Republican primary voters,” said Patrick Murray of Murray Communications. “Over time, as voters become more familiar with the candidates, we’ll see how much of Romney’s support is truly his own, and how much is based on affection for the family and, in particular, for 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.”

The survey is a collaborative effort between Murray Communications, a Michigan-based Republican political consulting firm; Portable Insights, a Rhode Island-based opinion research company; and Combat Data Inc., a Michigan-based political data and voter outreach services company.