Perry up in UT/Texas Tribune gov. poll

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Gov. Rick Perry has a 12-point lead over challenger U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in the Republican primary governor's race according to a University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.

Perry held the support of 42 percent of Republican primary voters to Hutchison's 30 percent. Third G.O.P. candidate Debra Medina got 7 percent of the vote. 

On the Democratic side, Kinky Friedman had the support of 19 percent of identified voters in a crowded field of candidates. Tom Scheiffer was the next closest candidate with 10 percent support. 

Some 55 percent of Democratic voters chose "undecided" in the Democratic primary. 

Hutchison fared slightly better than Perry in the general election matchup against the top two Democratic candidates. In all four of the matchups between Hutchison, Perry, Friedman and Schieffer, the G.O.P. candidates won by at least 11 points. 

The online survey polled 800 registered voters. 

The Texas Tribune is a statewide online nonprofit newspaper that launched Tuesday. 

KXAN's Jim Swift reported on its launch .