Polls: Democrats run strong in Senate races
GOP-held seats in Montana, Ohio and Tennessee at risk, latest polls show
Updated: 4:20 a.m. PT Oct 1, 2006
NEW YORK - Three new polls of likely voters, conducted by Mason-Dixon, show Democrats with a real chance to make significant gains in the Senate. In all three states, Republicans currently hold the seats. The Democrats need to gain six seats in order to take control of the Senate.
Montana: Burns v. Tester
In Montana, incumbent Republican Senator Conrad Burns is trailing his Democratic opponent Jon Tester by a 47 percent to 40 percent margin with 3 percent supporting a third party candidate and 10 percent undecided.
Senator Burns is not viewed nearly as favorably as Jon Tester by the likely voters in this poll. Only 36 percent view Burns favorably compared with 48 percent for Tester. And more, 45 percent view Burns unfavorably compared with 26 percent for Tester.
Given that Burns is the incumbent, those numbers indicate a significant problem for his re-election.
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Ohio: DeWine v. Brown
In Ohio, incumbent Republican Senator Mike DeWine and Sherrod Brown, his Democratic challenger, are in a virtual tie. Brown is supported by 45 percent of likely voters and DeWine is supported by 43 percent.
DeWine’s unfavorable rating, 33 percent, is substantially higher than Brown’s 22 percent.
The key to this race is likely to be the votes of independents. In this poll, Brown leads among independents by a 52 percent to 33 percent margin.
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Tennessee: Ford v. Corker
In Tennessee, in the open seat currently held by majority leader Bill Frist, Democrat Harold Ford, Jr. and Republican Bob Corker are in a virtual tie. Ford is supported by 43 percent of likely voters and Corker is supported by 42 percent.
Ford is viewed favorably by more Tennessee voters, 44 percent, than is Corker, 38 percent, and less unfavorably, 30 percent to Corker’s 35 percent.
Independent voters in this poll give Corker the nod by a 43 percent to 33 percent margin but 23 percent of them are still undecided.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15046793/