Arkansas:
For incumbent Democratic Senator Blanche Lambert Lincoln, the opponents are interchangeable at this point in her bid for reelection in Arkansas. New Rasmussen Reports polling in the state finds her stuck in the mid-30s against any of five Republican opponents.
Her GOP rivals, including Congressman John Boozman who is expected to enter the race on Saturday, all earn roughly 50% of the vote against the two-term Democrat.
But worse for Lincoln in the latest survey is that her numbers continue to fall. In September and December, her support was between 39% and 41% in these match-ups. Last month, it slipped to 38% or 39% support against any of four Republicans. Now, her support ranges from 33% to 36%.
Boozman, the newest entrant in the race, runs strongest among likely voters in Arkansas for now, beating Lincoln by 19 points, 54% to 35%. State Senator Gilbert Baker also leads Lincoln by 19, 52% to 33%. State Senate Minority Leader Kim Hendren posts a 51% to 35% lead over the incumbent.
Curtis Coleman, a private businessman, also runs ahead of Lincoln 50% to 34%. Tom Cox, head of the Arkansas T.E.A. Party, has a 50% to 36% lead over Lincoln.
In all five match-ups, the number who prefer some other candidate or are undecided falls in single digits.
Colorado:
Lieutenant Governor Jane Norton now posts a 14-point lead over incumbent Democrat Michael Bennett, but her lead over Bennet’s intraparty challenger, Andrew Romanoff, is not as big in the race for the U.S. Senate in Colorado.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely Colorado voters finds Norton still the strongest of three Republican hopefuls against either of the candidates who hopes to be the Democratic nominee.
Illinois:
Republican Mark Kirk holds a modest 46% to 40% lead over Democrat Alexi Giannoulias in the race for the Illinois Senate following Tuesday’s party primaries.
The first post-primary Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 telephone survey of the Kirk-Giannoulias race finds just four percent (4%) of likely voters in the state prefer some other candidate, while another 10% are undecided.
Among voters not affiliated with either of the major parties, the Republican holds a sizable 59% to 22% lead.
Indiana:
As expected with incumbent Senator Evan Bayh’s surprise announcement this week that he will not seek reelection, Indiana’s U.S. Senate race is wide open. The three leading Republican contenders all post leads for now over the two most prominently mentioned Democratic hopefuls, but it’s not even clear if those Democrats are in the race.
Louisiana:
Incumbent Republican David Vitter has an even more commanding lead this month over his top Democratic challenger in Louisiana's race for the U.S. Senate.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in the state shows Vitter leading Democratic Congressman Charlie Melancon 57% to 33%. Just three percent (3%) would opt for some other candidate, while seven percent (7%) are undecided.
Nevada:
Harry Reid may soon have one more Republican opponent in Nevada’s race for the U.S. Senate, and his numbers remain in troublesome territory for an incumbent. Reid, like a number of Democratic Senate incumbents, appears to be suffering from voter unhappiness over the national health care plan and the continuing bad state of the economy.
New Hampshire:
Former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte remains the strongest Republican running against Democratic Congressman Paul Hodes in New Hampshire’s race for the U.S. Senate, but the numbers have changed very little over the past few months.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in the state shows Ayotte leading Hodes 46% to 39%. Three percent (3%) prefer another candidate, and 13% are undecided.
North Dakota:
Popular Republican Governor John Hoeven crushes his two likeliest Democratic rivals thus far in North Dakota’s race for the U.S. Senate.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in the state finds Hoeven with a 71% to 17% lead over the only announced Democrat in the race, state Senator Tracy Potter. Four percent (4%) prefer another candidate, and eight percent (8%) are undecided.
The numbers are only slightly less overwhelming if former state Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp is the Democratic candidate. Hoeven leads her 65% to 29%. Faced with that match-up, just one percent (1%) favor some other candidate, while five percent (5%) are undecided.
Pennsylvania:
Little is changed this month in Pennsylvania’s race for the U.S. Senate, with Republican hopeful Pat Toomey still ahead of incumbent Senator Arlen Specter by nine points.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely Pennsylvania voters finds Toomey out front 47% to 38%. Five percent (5%) prefer another candidate, and 10% are undecided
Ohio:
Republican Rob Portman still has narrow leads over his two chief Democratic opponents for the seat being vacated by GOP Senator George Voinovich in Ohio.
Republicans lead open-seat Senate races in Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Ohio.
Healthcare is a familiar theme is also shown on those linked pages as to the reason why the political atmosphere has become so toxic for Democrats in 2010.
Arkansas, incumbent Democratic Senator Blanche Lambert Lincoln:
Lincoln was clearly hurt in previous surveys by her key role in advancing for debate in the Senate the national health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. But she has since been more critical of the plan which now appears to have run aground in Congress following the upset GOP Senate win in Massachusetts earlier this month. Most Arkansas voters have been strongly opposed to the plan for months.
Colorado, incumbent Democrat Michael Bennett:
But while Norton’s lead on Bennet has steadily grown in polling since last September, she continues to hover in the mid-40s against Romanoff, suggesting that incumbency may be one of Bennet’s biggest problems. Given voter unhappiness with the national health care plan and the state of the economy, a number of Democratic senators are experiencing a similar challenge.Nevada, incumbent Harry Reid, Senate Majority leader:
.....appears to be suffering from voter unhappiness over the national health care plan and the continuing bad state of the economy.
Ohio:
The numbers in the Buckeye State suggest that none of the candidates has really fired voters’ enthusiasm yet. Fisher and Brunner, like many Democratic candidates nationwide, also appear to be suffering from voter unhappiness with the state of the economy and fallout from the Congressional health care debate.
I asked in my previous piece:
With congressional disapproval up to 73.4 percent and Democratic Senators, like Reid himself trailing their Republican challengers for November's election, the question remains as to how many Democrats are willing to throw their careers away to follow Reid off the cliff?
That question stands.
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