Donald Trump wins county fair kernel poll

Published 10:31 am Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Donald Trump captured the Freeborn County Fair presidential kernel poll that was taken Tuesday through Sunday.

More than 760 people reportedly dropped 4,600 kernels into the 18 mason jars over the six days of the fair. Each person was given an envelope of six kernels that could be placed in any jar. Each mason jar represented a Republican that is running for the party’s nomination. The unscientific poll was taken by the Freeborn County Republican Party.

The top 10 included:

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• Donald Trump: 24.1 percent

• Scott Walker, 13.6 percent

• Mike Huckabee, 9.8 percent

• Ben Carson, 7.5 percent

• Jeb Bush, 7.4 percent

• Carly Fiorina, 6.9 percent

• Marco Rubio, 6.3 percent

• Rand Paul, 5.4 percent

• Ted Cruz, 5.2 percent

• Chris Christie, 3.4 percent

The poll was meant to gain excitement for the Republican Party primary process and to gauge preferences.

“Our goal was to give fair attendees an opportunity to express their support for one of the declared candidates,” Freeborn County Republican Party chairman Brian Hensley said.

Hensley plans on continuing the poll in future years.

Another kernel poll is planned to be run on Monday at the Freeborn County Republican Party picnic. Results are expected to be released Tuesday.

Albert Lea resident Sara Wacholz doesn’t support Trump’s run for president.

“He seems kind of rude about things,” Wacholz said. “It seems like he’s more about the fame and the publicity than about being presidential.”

The poll results at the Freeborn County Fair are similar to a NBC News poll taken from Friday evening into Saturday. The poll found Trump leading the Republican field with 23 percent. Sen. Ted Cruz was next with 13 percent.

About Sam Wilmes

Sam Wilmes covers crime, courts and government for the Albert Lea Tribune.

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