[img_assist|nid=1579|title=U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=160|height=187]U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Tucson) leads her Republican challenger state Sen. Pres. Tim Bee (D-Tucson) by 24 points in the 8th Congressional District race, according to a new poll.

In the telephone survey conducted June 18-22 by the Washington, D.C.-based firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, 502 likely voters in the 8th district were asked about their preference in the race. 58 percent said they'd vote for Giffords, while 32 percent preferred Bee. When those leaning toward one candidate or the other were included, Giffords led 59 to 35.

The poll also found that Giffords currently enjoys 92 percent name recognition - "an impressive finding for any first-term member of Congress," according to the accompanying memo - and has a 57 percent favorability rating. 26 percent of respondents said they had an unfavorable view of her.

Greenberg Quinlan Rosner is an admittedly "progressive" research firm, and information on Bee's name recognition and favorables were not included in the data. Nonetheless, according to the data provided, Giffords currently stands well above the 50 percent threshold that is generally regarded as the indicator of whether an incumbent needs to worry or not.

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