Posted on 09/02/2010 9:25:31 AM PDT by MissesBush
In Washington State, the U.S. Senate race remains one of the closest in the country.
The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters in the state shows Republican challenger Dino Rossi attracting 48% of the vote while Democratic Senator Patty Murray earns support from 46%. Three percent (3%) prefer a different candidate, and three percent (3%) are undecided.
Earlier this month, Murray had a slight edge. However, the race has been very close all along.
In ten surveys conducted since January, the candidates have been within two points of each other seven times. Rossi has twice held a three-point advantage and Murray once had a four-point edge.
Since May, Rossi has attracted support from either 47% or 48% of the vote in five out of six surveys. During that same time frame, Murray have been between 47% and 49% of the vote in five of six surveys.
With these new results, the race moves from Leans Democratic to Toss-Up in the Rasmussen Reports Senate Balance of Power summary.
Murray has served in the Senate since 1993 and Rossi was a two-time unsuccessful candidate for governor.
When leaners are included in the new totals, Rossi attracts 50% of the vote and Murray earns 47%. Leaners are those who initially indicate no preference for either of the candidates but answer a follow-up question and say they are leaning towards a particular candidate.
Early in any campaign, the numbers without leaners are generally more significant. Later in a campaign, the numbers with leaners matter more. After Labor Day, Rasmussen Reports will report the numbers with leaners as the primary indicators of the campaign.
Murray picks up 87% of the Democratic vote while Rossi gets support from 89% of Republican voters. The GOP hopeful also has a significant edge among the state’s unaffiliated voters. Platinum Members can review full demographic crosstabs.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 750 Likely Voters in Washington was conducted on August 31, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
Murray is viewed Very Favorably by 30% of Washington voters and Very Unfavorably by 32%.
Twenty-five percent (25%) view Rossi Very Favorably, while 26% view him Very Unfavorably.
At this point in a campaign, Rasmussen Reports considers the number of people with strong opinions more significant than the total favorable/unfavorable numbers.
Only 27% of Washington voters believe that most Members of Congress care what their constituents think. Fifty-six percent (56%) say the legislators don’t care. That’s a more positive assessment of the elected politicians than is found among voters nationwide.
Fifty-nine percent (59%) are at least somewhat angry at the policies of the federal government. That, too, is a bit less negative than the national mood.
Just 28% say their own representative in Congress is the best person for the job. By a 44% to 40% margin, Washington voters say their own representative does not deserve re-election.
Forty-eight percent (48%) approve of President Obama’s job performance. That is down five points from earlier in the month but slightly better than his national numbers in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.
Forty-two percent (42%) like the job Democratic Governor Christine Gregoire is doing.
In 2008, Rasmussen Reports projected nationally that Obama would defeat John McCain by a 52% to 46% margin. Obama won 53% to 46%. Four years earlier, Rasmussen Reports projected the national vote totals for both George W. Bush and John Kerry within half-a-percentage-point.
In Washington, Rasmussen Reports polled on two races during the 2008 campaign. In the race for president, Rasmussen polling showed Obama leading 54% to 43% and Obama won 57% to 40%. In the 2008 Washington governor's race, final Rasmussen Reports polling showed Gregoire leading Rossi 50% to 48%, and Gregoire won 53% to 47%.
In the 2006 race for U.S. Senate, Rasmussen polling showed Maria Cantwell leading 54% to 42%, and she won 57% to 39%. In the 2004 presidential race,
Rasmussen polling in Washington showed Kerry leading Bush 53% to 44%, and Kerry won the state 53% to 46%.
See all Rasmussen Reports 2008 state results for president, Senate and governor.
See 2006 results for Senate and governor. See 2004 state results for president.
Rasmussen Reports has recently surveyed Senate races in Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
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Rossi better look out when they start counting and re-counting votes in Kings County. That’s where the Dems. will try and steal it.
Rats will steal it.
Has this race tightened? I could swear I saw a poll over the weekend, or last week, with Rossi having 52%. The only reason I took not was because of the state’s usual leanings I was surprised a (R) had that big of a lead.
King County
Peirce County
Thurston County
Thank G-d I live out in Grays Harbor County! I have met Dino, he is a stand-up guy. Meeting him again at a fundraiser later this month.
GO ROSI!
“Election 2010: Washington Senate - Washington Senate: Rossi (R) 48% Murray (D) 46%”
Rossi is going to need every GOP voter and a sizable majority of the indies.
Many people fear that after the 2010 mid-terms, the GOP will have control and will slide back to their old ways. It won't matter.I see it differently. I think we are on an exponential curve, which means we will see many more incumbent losses in 2012 and even more in 2014. So much so that I believe much of Congress will be replaced in the next 4 to 6 years.
That sounds crazy to some people. (Like a Republican winning Kennedy's seat?) but I believe it will happen. Kind of heavy but I describe it in more detail here.
Quick! Let’s start up a conservative third party so we can help Patty Murray keep her seat!!!!!!
Two polls from two different pollsters, both good quality. The variance is within the margin of error.
2% is close enough to steal.
Too close. King County will steal it late in the night.
Which do you want: Liberal or Liberaler?
It’s Washington.
One can only dream. Pathetic Patti needs to go!
This is going to be one of the ugliest races of the election season. Murray is already running attack ads on major networks claiming Rossi wants to outsource everyone’s job to the 3rd world and she’s the white knight of jobs.
Makes me want to vomit. The only jobs she’s ever been concerned with are public labor and Boeing unions who fill her campaign coffers.
I pray every day she loses the race, but its going to be tight one.
This is going to be one of the ugliest races of the election season. Murray is already running attack ads on major networks claiming Rossi wants to outsource everyone’s job to the 3rd world and she’s the white knight of jobs.
Makes me want to vomit. The only jobs she’s ever been concerned with are public labor and Boeing unions who fill her campaign coffers.
I pray every day she loses the race, but its going to be tight one.
This is going to be one of the ugliest races of the election season. Murray is already running attack ads on major networks claiming Rossi wants to outsource everyone’s job to the 3rd world and she’s the white knight of jobs.
Makes me want to vomit. The only jobs she’s ever been concerned with are public labor and Boeing unions who fill her campaign coffers.
I pray every day she loses the race, but its going to be tight one.
Looks like this one is in play.
Way past time for Patty to go.
Let’s see, how many Democratic Seats are in trouble in the Senate?
Almost a given GOP flip:
Arkansas - Lincoln
Pennsylvania - Specter
Indiana - Bayh
North Dakota - Dorgan
Trending heavily to the GOP:
Colorado - Bennett
Illinois - Burris
Delaware - Biden
Washington - Murray
Toss-ups, but serious challenge:
California - Boxer
Nevada - Reid
Wisconsin - Feingold
When I look at this, it looks like Obama, Biden and Reid could all lose their old (or current) seats. Boxer, Murray and Feingold are three of the most liberal Senators in the Senate.
This looks like it could go from a disaster to a catastrophe for the Democrats rather quickly.
King5 News has it at 52% Rossi 45% Murray. My guess is that he will win this with relative ease.
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