According to the lastest Survey USA poll Tom Udall is crushing both potential republican foes. In head to head matchups Udall leads Pearce by 24 points and Wilson by 26.
http://www.surveyusa.com/clien…
Udall (D) – 60
Pearce (R) – 36
Udall (D) – 61
Wilson (R) – 35
In the Republican primary poll Pearce currently leads Wilson by 3.
Pearce – 49
Wilson – 46
My money is on Pearce winning the republican nomination rather easily given he is more conservative than Wilson. It seems to matter little though which candidate Udall faces, Wilson and Pearce have bloodied each other so badly that neither can win the general. Then number that really jumps out at me is Udall carrying >70% of the Hispanic vote. That is HUGE in a state like NM.
The latest Rasmussen poll had Udall over Pearce by 14 and ahead of Wilson by 20. So this new poll would seem to providem ore evidence that this is a 20 point or so race. I’m sure it will tighten by election day, but probably not terribly much.
There are now already four (4) Senate races in which Dems are leading outside of the margin of error — NM, VA, NH, and AK; and a fifth where we appear to be leading, and probably gaining in C0.
Every indication is that 0R is in dangerous territory for the Republican incumbent, and I think MN will still catch on as a good pickup opportunity for us. Throw in the recent polling in TX and NC, and we’re already up to nine legitimate pickup opportunities in the Senate, one away (assuming the generally useless Mary Landrieu doesn’t lose) from a Joe Lieberman-less and fillibuster-proof Senate.
And that’s without counting Maine, Mississippi/Wicker, the open seat in Nebraska, and Larry LaRocco’s legitimate shot in Idaho. I still think Kentucky and even Georgia are legitimate opps if the right candidates emerge (i.e., Greg Fischer and Jim Martin), and possibly 0K and KS.
15 seats is doable, especially when you look at the national mood, John McCain at his national ceiling, and how many races look winnable so far out compared to at the same place in the cycle in 2006.
The seat is in the bag, just like Virginia.