Poll: Fleming leads Republicans in 4th District race posted Sunday, August 3rd, 2008 @ 10:37 pm  E-mail Story |  Print Story  With the Republican Party primary election in the 4th District congressional race roughly one month away, Dr. John Fleming leads a field of GOP candidates with 43 percent of the vote. That's according to a poll conducted by Southern Media & Opinion Research, a widely respected polling firm owned and operated by Buster McKenzie and Bernie Pinsonat. SMOR's poll of 350 likely Republican voters showed Chris Gorman with 16.9 percent of the vote, while 14.6 percent of the voters favored Jeff Thompson. Some 25.1 percent of the likely Republicans voters who were polled were undecided. Conducted July 25-27, the SMOR poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent. Fleming's campaign paid for the poll. Fleming, Gorman and Thompson will face one another Sept. 6 in the party primary election. A run-off election, if needed, will take place Oct. 4. The general election, or when the Republican nominee will face the Democratic Party nominee, will be held Nov. 4 in conjunction with the presidential race. Fleming is a physician and businessman, who is largely financing his campaign to succeed Congressman Jim McCrery. McCrery is voluntarily giving up his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has represented the 4th District since 1988. Gorman is a businessman, who works for him family's trucking company, Tango Transport. Thompson is an attorney. Meanwhile, Caddo Parish District Attorney Paul Carmouche is the leading Democratic candidate in the 4th District campaign. He is expected to easily win the Democratic primary election in September.