DE-SEN

Rasmussen Poll: GOPer Castle Leads Dem Coons in DE-SEN Race

Thomas Rhiel | August 6, 2010, 5:33PM

Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE), US Sen. candidate Chris Coons (D-DE), and US Sen. candidate Christine O'Donnell (R-DE).

Rasmussen's out with some new numbers from the seldom-polled Delaware Senate race for Joe Biden's old seat, and it looks like Democrat Chris Coons's chances will depend upon which GOP nominee gets the nod.

Republican Rep. Mike Castle has a 49%-37% lead over Coons, a margin a tad wider than the 47%-36% lead he had in Rasmussen's July 14 poll. Coons, in turn, has a 46%-36% lead over Republican Christine O'Donnell, theTea Party Express-endorsed Republican in the race. Support for O'Donnell has flagged since July 14, when she led Coons 41%-39%, and her unfavorable rating has jumped from 33% to 38%. Castle is the favorite in the September 14 Republican primary.

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Michael Steele

Michael Steele Dons 'Fire Pelosi' Cap At RNC Meeting

Thomas Rhiel | August 6, 2010, 12:56PM

RNC Chairman Michael Steele

Michael Steele introduced a new fashion accessory at today's Republican National Committee meeting in Kansas City, when, like almost everyone in the audience, the RNC Chairman donned a bright-red "Fire Pelosi" cap. It was something of a theme at the event. And a "Fire Nancy Pelosi" bus tour will begin this fall.

"The American people have been very clear from the pool halls and the church halls, to the diners and the donut shops, in the red-hot Arizona sun and on the cool-blue California beaches, at the Liberty Bell and the Charleston Harbor, they're all saying one thing: Fire Nancy Pelosi! Retire Harry Reid!" Steele said, according to his prepared remarks.

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NC-SEN

Rasmussen Poll: GOPer Burr Up 9 In NC-SEN Race

Thomas Rhiel | August 6, 2010, 12:08PM

Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Sen. candidate Elaine Marshall (D-NC)

A new Rasmussen poll of the North Carolina Senate race gives Republican Sen. Richard Burr a nine-point lead over Democrat Elaine Marshall, who some polls have shown gaining ground on Burr. Rasmussen's latest numbers show Burr leading 49%-40%.

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FL-SEN

Mason-Dixon Poll: Meek Edging Greene in Dem FL-SEN Primary

Thomas Rhiel | August 6, 2010, 10:48AM

FL Democratic Senate candidates Kendrick Meek and Jeff Greene

The latest Mason-Dixon poll of Florida's Democratic Senate primary gives Rep. Kendrick Meek a slim 33%-29% lead over opponent Jeff Greene -- a statistical tie, given the poll's ±4.0-point margin of error.

The new survey, conducted August 2-4, is in agreement with an internal poll released Thursday by the Meek campaign, which also showed Meek and Greene in a statistical dead heat. Both polls are at odds with a July 27 Quinnipiac survey, which put Greene ahead by 10 points.

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NV-SEN

Angle's Former GOP Opponent's Mom Now Campaigning For Reid

Thomas Rhiel | August 6, 2010, 10:04AM

US Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R-NV) and Senator Harry Reid (D-NV)

Let this be a lesson to all you politicians out there: whatever you do, don't mess with your opponent's mom.

Lois Tarkanian, the mother of former GOP Senate candidate Danny Tarkanian, spoke out on Thursday against Republican nominee Sharron Angle, her son's primary opponent, and now plans to campaign alongside Democrat Harry Reid. Tarkanian, a Las Vegas city councilwoman, joined other women in a Las Vegas café yesterday to denounce comments made by Angle, who in October said it was an "acceptable thing" when "one parent stays home with the children and the other provides financial support."

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FL-GOV

Mason-Dixon Poll: Scott Leads McCollum By 6 In GOP's FL-GOV Primary

Thomas Rhiel | August 6, 2010, 9:18AM

FL Gov. candidate Rick Scott (R)

A new Mason-Dixon poll of Florida's Republican gubernatorial primary shows Rick Scott out in front of state Attorney General Bill McCollum, who's been struggling in the polls for months. The new survey shows Scott with a 37%-31% lead.

With the exception of two internal polls released by the McCollum camp showing the race neck-and-neck, every poll of this primary contest since June (including a third McCollum internal poll) has shown Scott in the lead. Mason-Dixon's previous poll, from way back in May, put McCollum up 38%-24%, but the landscape has changed dramatically since then.

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KY-SEN

Braun Research Poll: Rand Paul Widens KY-SEN Lead

Thomas Rhiel | August 6, 2010, 9:01AM

Kentucky Senate candidates Jack Conway (D) and Rand Paul (R)

In the Kentucky Senate race, support for Democrat Jack Conway has dropped while support for Republican Rand Paul has remained just about constant, a new Braun Research survey reports. The poll shows Paul leading Conway 40.6%-31.4%.

When Braun Research surveyed the race two weeks ago, it found Paul ahead of Conway 41.2%-37.9.%. Since then, Conway's support has dropped more than six points, and his favorable rating has fallen from 50.3% to 43.9%. Paul's favorable rating saw a slight bump, moving from 47.5% to 49.8%.

The TPM Poll Average of there race shows Paul up 46.3%-41.0%. The margin of error of the latest Braun Research poll is ±3.46 percentage points.

Check out TPMDC's full coverage of the race here.

FL-SEN

Meek's Internal Poll: This FL-SEN Dem Primary Is A Dead Heat

Thomas Rhiel | August 5, 2010, 6:07PM

FL Democratic Senate candidates Kendrick Meek and Jeff Greene

Rep. Kendrick Meek, who's battling Jeff Greene in Florida's Democratic Senate primary, is out today with a new internal poll that shows he and Greene statistically neck-and-neck. The poll, conducted from August 1-3 by the Feldman Group, shows Meek with 46%, Greene with 45%, and former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre with 8%. The margin of error is ±3.5 percentage points.

Abe Dyk, Meek's campaign manager, writes that the poll's crosstabs contain more good news for Meek:

Kendrick leads by six points among those voters who have participated in each of the last four Democratic primaries and by four points among those who voted in the August 2008 primary election. Kendrick also enjoys a double digit advantage in the four Congressional districts with contested U.S. House primaries. Grassroots turnout will be critical, and Kendrick is running a grassroots campaign. Higher turnout in those districts give Kendrick a real boost.

Polling of the race has been scant and varied, but the latest Quinnipiac poll showed Greene leading Meek 33%-23%. The primary is August 24.

WI-SEN

Cook Political Report: WI-SEN Race, Once 'Solid Democratic,' Now A 'Toss-Up'

Thomas Rhiel | August 5, 2010, 4:54PM

Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Senate candidate Ron Johnson (R-WI)

In yet another indication of how difficult November's elections will be for Democrats, the Cook Political Report has changed its rating of the Wisconsin Senate race (sub. req.) from "Lean Democratic" to "Toss-Up."

Explains Cook:

Just three weeks ago, we moved this race between Democratic incumbent Sen. Russ Feingold and businessman Ron Johnson, the presumptive Republican nominee, from the Solid Democratic column to Lean Democratic. After watching the back and forth between the candidates and having met with Johnson, the race is making yet another move to Toss Up.

Citing Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle's unpopularity, the low number of Wisconsin voters who believe the state is on the right track, and the energized Republican base, Cook argues that an anti-incumbent climate may be enough to topple the incumbent Democratic senator. "Feingold could do everything right and still lose," Cook writes. Johnson, meanwhile, is well-positioned as an "outsider" candidate who "appears to have very little baggage for Democrats to exploit."

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CA-SEN

Rasmussen Poll: Barbara Boxer Leads Carly Fiorina By 5 In CA-SEN Race

Thomas Rhiel | August 5, 2010, 10:47AM

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Senate candidate Carly Fiorina (R-CA)

Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer's still out in front of Republican nominee Carly Fiorina in California's Senate race, a new Rasmussen poll reports. The survey puts Boxer in the lead, 45%-40%.

The new numbers are in line with past polling from Rasmussen, which since May has shown Boxer with a lead wavering between five and seven points. Most post-primary polls also give Boxer the edge, although a July 11 SurveyUSA poll showed Fiorina up two.

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2010 elections

Rasmussen Poll: GOPer Kasich Ahead 3 In OH-GOV Race

Thomas Rhiel | August 5, 2010, 10:08AM

Governor Ted Strickland (D-OH) and Gubernatorial candidate John Kasich (R-OH)

A new Rasmussen poll of the Ohio governor's race shows former Rep. John Kasich's (R-OH) lead over Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland narrowing to the thinnest margin reported by the pollster in months. The survey gives Kasich a 45%-42% edge over Strickland.

Rasmussen's June and July polling of the race showed Kasich with 5- and 7-point leads over Strickland, who's been under fire from the Kasich campaign for presiding over a state economy that has shed hundreds of thousands of jobs. Kasich, meanwhile, has taken heat for his previous work with Lehman Brothers, where he was a managing director.

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Karl Rove

Karl Rove Guest Hosting Rush Limbaugh's Show Next Week

Thomas Rhiel | August 5, 2010, 9:55AM

Karl Rove and Rush Limbaugh

When Rush is away, Rove will play.

Renaissance man Karl Rove -- a master campaigner, a shrewd senior adviser to former president George W. Bush, and a pretty bad emcee -- will apparently be filling in for conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh next Monday. Earlier this morning, Rove tweeted, "Rush Limbaugh will be out Monday, 8/9/10. Tune in as I make my EIB Network guest-host debut!"

We certainly will!

NH-SEN

Kelly Ayotte Touts Execution Of Cop Killer In New Ads (VIDEO)

Thomas Rhiel | August 4, 2010, 3:18PM

US Senate primary candidate Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)

Kelly Ayotte, the frontrunner in New Hampshire's Republican Senate primary and a Sarah Palin-approved "Mama Grizzly," has two new TV ads out touting her record as a tough-on-crime state attorney general. The new spots -- one 60 seconds long, the other 30 seconds -- tell the story of Mike Briggs, a police officer shot and killed in the line of duty. It was Kelly Ayotte, the ads say, who brought Briggs's killer to justice by seeking the death penalty.

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OH-SEN

Rasmussen Poll: GOPer Portman Leads Fisher By 4 In OH-SEN

Thomas Rhiel | August 4, 2010, 1:53PM

Ohio Senate candidates Rob Portman (R) and Lee Fisher (D)

Republican Rob Portman leads Democratic Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher in Ohio's Senate race, a new Rasmussen poll shows. The poll, released today, puts Portman ahead of Fisher 44%-40%.

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2010 elections

Poll: 27% Of Americans Doubt Obama's Citizenship -- Including 41% of Republicans

Thomas Rhiel | August 4, 2010, 1:25PM

A new CNN poll finds that more than a quarter of Americans are birthers -- or at least "birther curious."

The poll, released today, reports that 11% of Americans think President Obama was "definitely" not born in the United States, while an additional 16% think he "probably" isn't a native-born citizen. Twenty-nine percent of Americans think Obama "probably" was born in the U.S., and only 42% are certain he was.

The poll's results show a clear partisan disparity. A full 41% of Republicans think that Obama was "definitely" or "probably" born outside the U.S., views shared by 29% of Independents and 15% of Democrats. Fifty-seven percent of Republicans, 68% of Independents, and 85% of Democrats believe that the president "probably" or "definitely" is a native-born citizen.

CNN's poll has a margin of error of ±3.0 percentage points.

FL-GOV

Rasmussen Poll: Dem Sink Trails Rick Scott In FL-GOV Race, But Leads McCollum

Thomas Rhiel | August 4, 2010, 10:55AM

Florida Gov. candidates Bill McCollum (R), Alex Sink (D) and Rick Scott (R).

A new Rasmussen poll of the Florida governor's race shows Democrat Alex Sink trailing GOP frontrunner Rick Scott, but leading Republican state Attorney General Bill McCollum -- a first in Rasmussen's polling. The new survey puts Scott ahead of Sink 35%-31%, with Independent Bud Chiles in third with 16%. Against McCollum, Sink is out in front 31%-27%, while Chiles takes 20%.

All signs point to Scott becoming the Republican nominee in the August 24 primary. He's well ahead in the polls, and has a huge financial advantage over McCollum.

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NV-SEN

New Angle Ad Blames Reid For Falling Property Values (VIDEO)

Thomas Rhiel | August 4, 2010, 9:51AM

NV Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R)

Sharron Angle, Nevada's press-averse Republican nominee for Senate, is out with a new television ad attacking her opponent, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, for delivering "hardship" to Nevadans in the form of decreasing property values.

"If your home was worth $300,000 before, now thanks to Harry Reid's disastrous economic policies, you've lost over $150,000, wiping out people's retirement savings overnight," the ad's narrator says.

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CT-SEN

Quinnipiac Poll: McMahon Gains On Blumenthal And Simmons Gains On McMahon In CT-SEN

Thomas Rhiel | August 4, 2010, 9:22AM

Connecticut Attorney General Dick Blumenthal (D) and US Senate candidate Linda McMahon (R-CT)

Quinnipiac released new numbers from the Connecticut Senate race this morning, and they show Linda McMahon, the former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO and the frontrunner in the GOP primary, gaining on Democratic state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. Meanwhile, support for former Rep. Rob Simmons (R-CT) -- who seemingly dropped out of the race only to re-enter it -- is picking up support in the Republican primary.

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CO-GOV

Rasmussen Poll: Yep, Tom Tancredo Is Ruining The GOP's Chances In CO-Gov Race

Thomas Rhiel | August 3, 2010, 2:58PM

Former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO)

Rasmussen is the second pollster to include Constitution Party candidate Tom Tancredo in its polling of the Colorado governor's race, and the results, once again, look good for Democrat John Hickenlooper.

In a Rasmussen poll conducted on July 15 -- before Tancredo threw his hat into the ring -- the governor's race looked tight: Hickenlooper led Republican Scott McInnis by two points and Republican Dan Maes by three points. But with Tancredo in the contest, Rasmussen's new poll numbers show, Hickenlooper pulls away from the pack. Against McInnis and Tancredo, Hickenlooper takes 43%, McInnis takes 25%, and Tancredo takes 24%. When the Republican is Maes, Hickenlooper leads with 42%, Maes gets 27%, and Tancredo trails with 24%.

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WA-SEN

Patty Murray Attacks Dino Rossi With WA-SEN Ad Featuring Bush

Thomas Rhiel | August 3, 2010, 1:26PM

Former President George W. Bush

Former President Bush has a cameo role in a new attack ad from Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, who's battling Republican former state Sen. Dino Rossi in the Washington Senate race.

The new ad, Murray's third in the campaign so far, takes on Rossi for hosting Wall Street fundraisers and opposing the recently passed financial regulation bill. Images of the former president appear in an opening montage alongside foreclosed homes and concerned-looking retirees while a narrator intones, "Bailouts, bonuses, lost savings, foreclosed homes." Bush is not mentioned by name.

The ad goes on to smack Rossi for accepting Wall Street campaign contributions and calling for the repeal of financial regulation reform. "Dino Rossi," the ad concludes, "the best friend Wall Street and big banks can buy."

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NC-SEN

PPP Poll: Dem Marshall Catching Up To GOPer Burr In NC Senate Race

Thomas Rhiel | August 3, 2010, 11:37AM

Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Sen. candidate Elaine Marshall (D-NC)

Democrat Elaine Marshall is gaining ground on Republican Sen. Richard Burr in North Carolina's Senate race, a new poll shows. A PPP (D) survey (PDF) released today finds Burr with a thin lead over Marshall, 39%-37%. PPP's previous survey of the race from late June showed Burr ahead five points, 38%-33%.

PPP isn't the only pollster to find Marshall closing in on Burr. SurveyUSA polls from July 11 and July 25 show Burr's 10-point lead on the 11th shrinking to three points on the 25th.

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SC-SEN

Rasmussen Poll: Alvin Greene Trailing Really, Really Badly In SC-SEN Race

Thomas Rhiel | August 3, 2010, 10:41AM

Alvin Greene

Rasmussen's out with a new poll of the South Carolina Senate race, and the numbers look bad for Democrat Alvin Greene. Really bad.

Greene, the surprise nominee whose economic recovery plan includes selling dolls in his image, is losing to incumbent Republican Sen. Jim DeMint by a whopping 42 points, 62%-20%.

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FL-SEN

Kendrick Meek Up With Cheery New TV Spot In FL-SEN (VIDEO)

Thomas Rhiel | August 3, 2010, 10:07AM

Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-FL)

Kendrick Meek, who's battling billionaire Jeff Greene in Florida's Democratic Senate primary, is out today with a new television spot, his third of the campaign. Unlike Meek's first two efforts, negative ads that tore into his opponent's Wall Street ties, the new ad is cheery, focusing on Meek's life and career. Greene isn't mentioned once.

At a time when many Floridians either don't know who Meek is or view him unfavorably, the new ad is an effort to endear him to voters: his mother is seen in the ad gently ribbing Meek for losing his hair, a state trooper lauds Meek's performance as a highway patrolman, and a black-and-white photograph depicts Meek shaking Sen. Ted Kennedy's hand.

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FL-SEN

Poll: Crist Maintains Lead Over Rubio In FL-SEN

Thomas Rhiel | August 2, 2010, 4:14PM

Marco Rubio (R) and Gov. Charlie Christ (I), candidates for US Senate in Florida

A new survey of the Florida Senate race shows Gov. Charlie Crist (I) ahead of Marco Rubio (R) by some of the largest margins reported by any poll so far. With Democrat Jeff Greene in the race, Saturday's Florida Poll finds, Crist leads Rubio 37%-29%, while Greene takes third with 16%. When the Democrat is Kendrick Meek, Crist tops Rubio 41%-30%, while Meek trails with 12%.

With the exception of Rasmussen, which has shown a close contest between Crist and Rubio, recent polling has consistently found Crist leading Rubio. Before the latest Florida Poll, though, only one other poll -- a June 13 Cherry Communications survey -- had shown Crist leading by double digits.

With Greene in the race, the TPM Poll Average has Crist at 37.1%, Rubio at 30.7%, and Greene at 17.0%. When the Democrat is Meek, the TPM Poll Average of the race shows Crist with 37.6%, Rubio with 32.5%, and Meek with 14.5%. The margin of error of the latest Florida Poll, which was conducted along with the University of South Florida Polytechnic in Lakeland, is ±4.0 percentage points.

The primary is August 24.

FL-GOV

Poll: Rick Scott Leads By 16 in GOP's FL-GOV Primary

Thomas Rhiel | August 2, 2010, 2:50PM

FL Gov. candidate Rick Scott (R)

Rick Scott leads Bill McCollum by double digits in Florida's Republican gubernatorial primary, a new survey finds. The Florida Poll, released Saturday, shows Scott with a 41%-25% lead over state Attorney General McCollum, the Republican establishment favorite who's struggling to fight off the big-spending Scott campaign's barrage of negative ads.

With the exception of two McCollum internal polls that showed the contest tied, every poll of the race since June has shown Scott out in front. This is the Florida Poll's first look at the race.

The TPM Poll Average shows Scott leading 41.3%-29.3%. The margin of error of the Florida Poll, which was conducted along with the University of South Florida Polytechnic in Lakeland, is ±6.0 percentage points. The primary is August 24.

CO-GOV

SurveyUSA Poll: Tancredo Tanking GOP's Chances In CO-GOV Race

Thomas Rhiel | August 2, 2010, 12:41PM

Former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO)

The Colorado GOP isn't thrilled that former GOP Rep. Tom Tancredo is running as a third-party candidate in the state's gubernatorial race. And a new poll of the contest finds that the GOP's fear -- that Tancredo will draw votes away from the Republican nominee in the race -- seems very justified.

A SurveyUSA poll of the race shows Tancredo almost splitting the GOP vote, giving Democrat John Hickenlooper a big double-digit advantage over his potential general election foes. In a two-candidate race, the new poll gives Hickenlooper a 48%-43% lead over Republican Scott McInnis. Add a dash of Tancredo, though, and Hickenlooper's lead increases: he's out front with 44%, with McInnis at 25%, and Tancredo -- outperforming McInnis -- at 26%. The story's much the same with Republican Dan Maes as the party's nominee. The poll shows that in a Hickenlooper-Maes matchup, Hickenlooper leads 50%-41%. Add Tancredo to the mix, though, and Hickenlooper's advantage increases: he gets 46% of the vote, while Maes and Tancredo are each at 24%.

The new SurveyUSA poll is the first from any pollster to include Tancredo in its match-ups. A SurveyUSA poll from June 17 showed McInnis topping Hickenlooper 47%-43% and Maes edging Hickenlooper 45%-44%. Even without the addition of Tancredo, then, the latest survey would be good news for the Hickenlooper camp.

The margin of error for the latest SurveyUSA poll is ±3.1 percentage points. The Republican primary is August 10.

SC-GOV

Rasmussen Poll: GOPer Nikki Haley Up 14 In SC-GOV Race

Thomas Rhiel | August 2, 2010, 11:57AM

SC-GOV Republican candidate Nikki Haley

Rasmussen has new numbers from South Carolina's governor's race -- the first in over a month -- and they show Republican nominee Nikki Haley still out in front with a considerable lead over state Sen. Vincent Sheheen, the Democratic nominee.

Haley's up 49%-35% against Sheheen, which gives her a slightly larger lead than she had in Rasmussen's June 23 survey of the race, which put her ahead 52%-40%. Her current margin isn't quite as big as the one she enjoyed during her primary runoff campaign, when Rasmussen showed her up 21 points over Sheheen.

The TPM Poll Average of the race has Haley with 50.0% and Sheheen with 35.8%. The margin of error of the latest Rasmussen poll is ±4.5 percentage points.

CO-SEN

SurveyUSA Poll: Colorado's Senate General Election A Real Toss-Up

Thomas Rhiel | August 2, 2010, 11:37AM

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO)

SurveyUSA is out with new polling from the Colorado Senate race, and it looks like it'll be a close one no matter how the Democratic and Republican primaries turn out.

The survey shows Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet in tight races with both possible Republican candidates. He leads Jane Norton 46%-43%, and he's neck-and-neck with Ken Buck, 43%-43%. Meanwhile, Andrew Romanoff, who's polling just about even with Bennet in the Democratic primary, is also in two close contests. Norton leads Romanoff 45%-40%, and Romanoff is in a 44%-44% dead heat with Buck.

The TPM Poll Averages give the edge to the two Republicans. The Poll Average puts Norton up over Bennet 45.6%-42.5%, and it shows her up against Romanoff 44.4%-40.8%. The TPM Poll Average shows Ken Buck leading Bennet 46.1%-42.3%, and Buck ahead of Romanoff 47.0%-42.2%.

The margin of error of the latest SurveyUSA poll is ±3.1 percentage points. The primary is August 10.

CO-SEN

SurveyUSA Poll: Ken Buck Leads Jane Norton By 9 GOP's CO-SEN Primary

Thomas Rhiel | August 2, 2010, 10:48AM

Colorado GOP Senate candidates Ken Buck and Jane Norton

A new SurveyUSA poll of Colorado's GOP Senate primary puts tea party favorite Ken Buck ahead of Jane Norton, 50%-41%. SurveyUSA's previous poll of the race, from June 17, gave Buck a cushier 53%-37% advantage.

The GOP Senate primary in Colorado has been particularly gaffe-filled this year. Buck has called tea party birthers "dumbasses," and Norton has called for "a NASA budget that doesn't cater to making Muslims feel good," among other things.

The TPM Poll Average shows Buck with 44.5% and Norton with 37.3%. The margin of error of SurveyUSA's latest poll is ±4.1 percentage points. The primary is August 10.

CO-SEN

Bennet's Internal Poll: I'm Still Ahead By 4 In Dem CO-SEN Primary

Thomas Rhiel | August 2, 2010, 10:15AM

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO)

In light of a new SurveyUSA poll showing Democratic challenger Andrew Romanoff edging appointed incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet in Colorado's Democratic Senate primary, Bennet's campaign released an internal polling memo showing the incumbent senator ahead 41%-37%.

The survey, conducted by Harstad Strategic Research and documented in a memo released Sunday night, also found that Bennet is ahead five points among the one-fourth of voters who have already sent in their mail-in ballots. Colorado's primary elections are being conducted by mail this year.

The TPM Poll Average of the Democratic Senate primary gives Bennet a 43.0%-41.9% lead. The margin of error of Harstad Strategic Research's survey is 4.0 percentage points.

CO-SEN

SurveyUSA Poll: Romanoff Pulls Ahead of Bennet In CO-SEN Dem Primary

Thomas Rhiel | August 2, 2010, 9:34AM

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Democratic primary challenger Andrew Romanoff

In Colorado's Democratic Senate primary, former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff has pulled ahead of incumbent Michael Bennet, a new SurveyUSA poll finds. The survey shows Romanoff with 48% and Bennet with 45%.

The is the first poll of the race that shows Romanoff ahead. The last SurveyUSA poll out of Colorado, from June 17, showed Bennet with a commanding 53%-36% lead. A Zata3 survey from July 27 showed a closer contest, with Bennet up 43.8%-40.0%.

The TPM Poll Average of the race gives Bennet a slim 43.0%-41.9% lead. The margin of error of the latest SurveyUSA poll is 4.3 percentage points. The primary is August 10.

KY-SEN

SurveyUSA Poll: Rand Paul Leads By Eight In KY Senate Race

Thomas Rhiel | August 2, 2010, 9:04AM

Kentucky Senate candidates Jack Conway (D) and Rand Paul (R)

SurveyUSA is out with a new poll of the Kentucky Senate race, and the numbers look good for Republican nominee Rand Paul. The new survey, conducted from July 27 to July 30, shows Paul up 51%-43% over Democratic state Attorney General Jack Conway.

This is SurveyUSA's second poll of the race since the May 18 primaries. The first, from May 27, found Paul up 51%-45%. And although SurveyUSA joins Rasmussen in showing a seven- or eight-point race, other pollsters have depicted a tighter contest. A PPP (D) poll from June 30 found things all tied up at 43%, and a Braun Research survey from July 21 showed Paul up by about three points.

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