Though political junkies have been preoccupied with the Senate race in Connecticut and the stunning upset victory over Senator Lieberman in the recent Democratic primary, there is also a race for Governor here. In that less-suspenseful contest it looks like the incumbent will enjoy a much easier road to reelection.
Early this year, it seemed venture capitalist Chris Gabrieli would be tapped as the running mate of fellow Democrat Tom Reilly, the Democrat then favored to gain the party's gubernatorial nomination.
Senator Joe Lieberman’s decision to run as an Independent sets up a lively campaign season for Connecticut voters. In the first General Election poll since Ned Lamont defeated Lieberman in the Connecticut primary, the incumbent is hanging on to a five percentage point lead.
Hawaii’s Senate seat will be decided on September 23—Primary Day—rather than November 8. That’s when Democrats Daniel Akaka, the incumbent senator seeking his fourth full term, and U.S. Rep. Ed Case will square off for their party’s nomination in November.
The most recent Rasmussen Reports election poll in Montana shows incumbent Republican Senator Conrad Burns and Democrat Jon Tester tied at 47%.
The power of incumbency is not necessarily paving an easy road to re-election for Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. The most recent Rasmussen Reports election survey of 500 likely voters in Illinois shows the governor leading State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka 45% to 37%. That’s little changed from his lead of 45% to 34% in last month’s poll.
Three months from the election, the twisty four-way race for Texas Governor continues to keep political junkies on the edge of their seats.
Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee, marginally leading his Democratic opponent in previous surveys, is trailing for the second Rasmussen Reports election poll in a row. Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse now leads 44% to 38%.
Incumbent Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison leads Democrat Barbara Ann Radnofsky 61% to 31%.
The Republican incumbents are still swimming upstream in the ocean state, though the Rasmussen Reports election poll shows Governor Donald Carcieri at least staying even with his Democratic challenger. (Not as much can be said for the incumbent Senator.)
Forty percent (40%) of Americans say they would definitely vote against Senator Clinton if she is on the Presidential ballot in 2008. This is up from 34% in our last Hillary Meter survey.
Vermont Governor Jim Douglas and Congressman Bernie Sanders remain comfortably in control of their respective gubernatorial and senate races.
Incumbent Republican Governor Bob Riley has expanded his already comfortable lead over his opponent—and fellow Alabama state executive—in his re-election bid.
Democratic Senator Joseph Lieberman is not the only statewide incumbent who could lose his primary. Alaska's Republican Governor Frank Murkowski is also swept up in a blizzard of low poll numbers—to the extent that he has published full-page ads to admit that maybe he should "consider a personality transplant."
In an eye-catching rebound, Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty has overtaken DFL Attorney General Mike Hatch in his bid for reelection.
Amy Klobuchar (DFL) has opened her biggest lead of the season over Republican Mark Kennedy in the race for Minnesota’s open Senate seat. The latest Rasmussen Reports election survey shows Klobuchar ahead 50% to 38%.
Incumbent Republican Senator John Ensign (R) is facing an increasingly competitive race in his bid for re-election to a second term in the U.S. Senate.
At 88, Robert Byrd recently became the longest-serving member of the U.S. Senate, and it looks like the Democrat will have no trouble extending his tenure into 2007. Senator Byrd now leads Republican businessman John Raese 56% to 31%. Not long before Raese won the GOP primary, conducted in May, the Rasmussen Reports election poll was showing Byrd with a 57% to 34% lead.
The exit of former Massachusetts Governor William Weld from the field of battle for the GOP nomination in New York doesn't seem to be helping Republican chances of holding onto the governor's mansion.
Former Pentagon official Kathleen Troia McFarland and Yonkers Mayor John Spencer have emerged as the leading contenders for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate, but neither is making headway.
