Poll: Reid in political peril
My colleague Alex Isenstadt wrote last week about the Republicans’ recruiting troubles in Nevada, where the party has still not found a viable challenger to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
But, despite their challenges, a new poll out today shows that Reid is still as vulnerable as ever, with 45 percent of voters saying they definitely would replace him, with only 35 percent saying they would re-elect him.
Only 38 percent of Nevada voters viewed Reid favorably, while 50 percent viewed him unfavorably – one of the lowest net favorability ratings for any Democratic senator. Even in Democratic-leaning Clark County (Las Vegas), a 42 percent plurality of voters said they wanted Reid replaced.
(The poll was conducted by the respected Mason-Dixon Polling & Research firm last week.)
The problem is, without a credible candidate, the GOP won’t be able to take advantage of Reid’s weak standing back home. Former GOP Rep. Jon Porter, considered the leading challenger, decided to take a pass on the race. And the state’s lieutenant governor, Brian Krolicki, was indicted on charges that he misused state funds during his tenure as state treasurer.
All eyes will now be on Rep. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), who represents the Reno area, to see if he’s willing to take the gamble and challenge the powerful Nevada leader. But there's not too much of a bench in the Silver State if he opts to remain in the House.
Politico.com |
