Fred Smith is winning the race -- at the straw polls.

The state senator and Republican gubernatorial candidate picked up three more wins this weekend in the informal votes that take place at Republican Party functions.

By Dome's count, Smith has won, usually handily, straw polls in at least six counties -- Buncombe, Wake, Henderson, Catawba, Rutherford and Cleveland -- as well as at the state party's Hall of Fame dinner in Cary.

His Republican rivals -- former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr, Salisbury Attorney Bill Graham and Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory -- tend to trade the other spots on the list, with McCrory doing particularly poorly.

Smith's team has attributed his wins to his barbecue tour, but it could also reflect his appeal among the typical red-meat crowd at Republican dinners.

The article above by Ryan Teague Beckwith was posted at the Under the Dome blog on March 10, 2008 and is available online here.