U.S. Rep. Walter Jones was widely thought to be in the fight of his political life because of his opposition to the Iraq war.

But his battle may not be as tough as many believed.

Jones, a Farmville Republican, has a commanding lead over GOP primary challenger Joe McLaughlin, according to a widely distributed new poll for the Jones campaign, reports Rob Christensen.

The survey found Jones leading McLaughlin by 54-16 percent.

The 3rd Congressional District primary has received national attention because McLaughlin made an issue of Jones’ opposition to continued U.S. involvement in the war in Iraq. The district has a strong military presence, including Camp Lejeune.

Conducted by National Research Inc., the poll surveyed 310 likely voters in the district on March 4 and March 6. The margin of error for the poll is plus or minus 5.57 percentage points. The Jones campaign made available a copy of the poll questions.

The survey has been distributed to key Republicans across the district, as well as political committees in Washington.