Medina Soaring in Texas

Public Policy Polling has Debra Medina within 4 points of Kay Bailey Hutchinson in the Republican race for Texas governor. This despite Sarah Palin campaigning for Rick Perry.

Rick Perry 39
Kay Bailey Hutchison 28
Debra Medina 24

PPP was the first polling outfit to detect the surging Scott Brown in Massachusetts that ultimately resulted in his election.

PPP asks:

Could the Republican primary for Governor in Texas end up in a runoff between Rick Perry...and Debra Medina?

Here's the battle she is up against now, according to PPP:

Medina is clearly riding the wave of discontent with the Republican establishment. Among primary voters who disapprove of the job the GOP in Congress is doing she actually leads with 37% to 32% for Perry and 22% for Hutchison. The problem for Medina is those folks only account for a third of the electorate and among the majority who are happy with the Republicans in Washington she's in a distant third at 17% to 48% for Perry and 27% for Hutchison. There may not end up being enough discontented Republican voters for her to move into the top two but she is nevertheless exceeding expectations.

(Thanks to Brian Shelley)