Bitter Smith accuses Mitchell campaign of push polling

AZ-5 Republican primary candidate and Arizona cable industry lobbyist Susan Bitter Smith is charging that the campaign of U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-Tempe) has been "push polling" in the 5th Congressional District - a charge the Mitchell campaign denies.

"Reports have surfaced that the Mitchell campaign has initiated a push pull [sic] in the District specifically targeting Susan," read a press release put out by the Bitter Smith campaign. 

"This is coming from supporters of ours who say they’ve gotten calls from people saying unflattering things about Susan and another candidate," said Brian Hummell, Bitter Smith's campaign manager, to PolitickerAZ.com. When asked if the other candidate was fellow 5th district competitor David Schweikert, Hummell said, "I believe so."

PolitickerAZ.com asked the Bitter Smith campaign to be put in touch with some of the residents who reported the calls, but so far the campaign said none of them want to come forward.

Mitchell's campaign manger Seth Scott flatly denied the allegation that the campaign had put out the calls.

"We're not doing any push polling," said Scott. "We categorically denounce push polls," he said. "It's a dirty practice."

Push polling is usually a type of misinformation campaign, where a candidate, 527 or other group will spread negative information, often baseless, about an opponent in the guise of a "poll." Unlike actual polls, information is seldom gathered and there is no effort made to collect a statistical sample.