Polling on 2002 Key Senate Races

It is absolutely ridiculous to think that in a race which has been 50-50 for months, there has been a ten-point swing to Thune in the last few days. Johnson wasn't ahead by five points and we doubt Thune is ahead by five points. Our RCP final poll average has Thune up two points, and we have thought Thune would pull this race out all along due to the popularity of President Bush and the strong GOP leanings of the state. Thune 50% - Johnson 50%, Thune wins.

The "Wellstone Rally" last Tuesday stole the momentum and sympathy vote away from Mondale and energized Republicans. Both sides in this race are fired up, but Coleman has the momentum and we think he came across very favorably, compared to Mondale, in their election eve debate yesterday. Two polls favor Mondale, one favors Coleman. We think Coleman wins. Coleman 51% - Mondale 47%.

Like South Dakota, Zogby shows a massive late swing towards Talent (9 points). We suspect Talent has been ahead by 3-4 points for weeks now, and that the 3-4 point margin will probably be close to what the final results look like. African-American turnout is going to be critical to any chance Carnahan has of holding on to this seat. The chicanery of 2000 in St. Louis is not likely to be replicated to the same extent and that helps Talent. Talent 51% - Carnahan 48%.

This race is so difficult to call. There is no question that the Allard poll numbers for an incumbent are terrible, and usually these type of numbers correspond with a loss. Zogby's supposed nine point lead for Strickland two days ago was ridiculous. His last poll gives Strickland a five point lead, we think the last Gallup poll showing Allard with a two point lead is closer to the truth. Bottom line, in the end, we give the edge to Allard because this is a Republican leaning state and the Republicans are going to win the Governor's race in a landslide. Allard 49% - Strickland 48%.

There seems to have been a late surge for Sununu as both the ARG and UNH polls show him picking up support. Bob Smith has nominally called on the write-in folks to cease and desist and that may be contributing to the Sununu increase. We still few this race as terribly close and yesterday we had Shaheen with the slight edge. If Sununu pulls this race out it will be because the GOP candidates are cruising in the two congressional districts and in the governor's race. We still give Shaheen the tiny edge. Shaheen 49% - Sununu 49%, Shaheen wins.

Bad news for Senator Hutchinson. The Democrats have three things working for them in this race: 1) Pryor is the son of famous and popular former Senator and Governor, 2) Pryor is running as a conservative Democrat, running ads in camouflage gear carrying a rifle, 3) Hutchinson ditched his wife of 20+ years and married a staffer shortly after coming to Washington in 1996. Bottom line Pryor wins. Pryor 53% - Hutchinson 47%.

UPDATE: Republicans are running attack ads against Pryor on this illegal immigrant story, we think it is probably a little too late, not too mention a little sleazy, it might even boomerang on Hutchinson rather than help.

Latest Zogby has Lautenberg's lead at 13 points. According to Zogby, Lautenberg has opened up a 51%-28% lead among Independents, a net gain of 25 points since mid-October. We think the Mason-Dixon and Quinnipiac polls more accurately reflect where this race is today. Lautenberg is still favored to win here, but a very long-shot GOP upset is not totally out of the question given the sleazy Torricelli switcheroo. Lautenberg 51% - Forrester 47%.

This is Texas and George W. Bush is President. So in the end we just don't see how Cornyn is going to lose. But, Kirk is a very attractive candidate and there no good way to quantify just how strong the minority vote will be in this race. The fact that Zogby showed Cornyn picking up three points in the last few days probably has Republicans feeling better. And maybe this race won't be close after all, but this could be a long-shot upset for the Democrats. Cornyn 51% - Kirk 47%.

Chambliss is coming on like a freight train and his performance in the last debate Sunday night is leading to more speculation that this could be a big upset for the Republicans. We think Chambliss does indeed have the momentum, and a potential wild card here that may make a huge difference, the Cynthia McKinney dust-up earlier in the primary may keep crucial black voters from voting, voters Cleland is going to have to have if he hopes to win. Chambliss 49% - Cleland 49%, Chambliss wins in a huge upset.