Washington, D.C. - The Club for Growth, the nation's leading free-market advocacy organization with over 35,000 members, today released a poll showing that Steve Laffey, Rhode Island GOP Senatorial candidate and Mayor of Cranston, has drawn into a statistical dead heat with incumbent Senator Lincoln Chafee in their Republican primary race. According to the polling firm, if the election were held today, it is likely the undecided respondents would break toward Laffey and propel him to victory. Club for Growth President Pat Toomey issued the following statement:

"This polling data shows that Rhode Island Republicans are rallying behind Mayor Steve Laffey and his prosperity agenda," said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. "Mayor Laffey has pulled even, or slightly ahead of, Senator Chafee despite the barrage of negative attack ads run against Mayor Laffey by Senator Chafee's Senate buddies and the recent huge run of pro-Chafee ads run by the incumbent."

"Senator Chafee's dramatic fall in this race, despite all the ads run for him, explains why he is now resorting to his own harsh, misleading attacks on Mayor Laffey," Toomey continued. "The tremendous sums of money Lincoln Chafee is sinking into his increasingly desperate campaign simply cannot mask his record for higher taxes and wasteful spending."

"Since, according to the polling firm, undecided voters usually break for the challenger instead of the incumbent, the results show that Steve Laffey would likely win the GOP primary in Rhode Island if it were held today."

PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.