GOP poll has Beasley up in South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C., April 14 (UPI) -- A Republican poll shows former South Carolina Gov. David Beasley ahead of Democrat Inez Tenenbaum for a U.S. Senate seat.

The survey shows Beasley, who served one term as governor, leads Tenenbaum, the state education superintendent, 48 percent to 33 percent, with 20 percent undecided.

The poll, conducted in late February for the National Republican Senatorial Committee by McLaughlin and Associates, is controversial because it reportedly was not intended for public distribution.

A NRSC spokesman said the Beasley campaign was "rebuked for the leak" but the Greenville, S.C., News quotes a Beasley aide saying the NRSC approved "limited distribution of the data."

Beasley is one of several Republicans bidding for the GOP nomination. Others in the field include U.S. Rep. Jim DeMint, the front runner before Beasley's last minute entry into the race, and former state Attorney General Charlie Condon. Tenenbaum all but has the Democrat's nomination secured.

The poll of 500 likely voters was conducted in late February and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.