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Another new poll shows Blue Dog Democrat Stephanie Herseth Sandlin trailing in her re-election bid in South Dakota. Sandlin is facing stiff competition in Kristi Noem, a state House assistant majority leader, and this is the third straight poll Noem has led.

The Rasmussen survey, conducted of 500 likely voters on Aug. 3, finds Noem leading 51%-42%. Noem led 49%-44% in July and 53%-41% in June.

While Noem currently leads, the rancher and insurance agency owner knows she will need more money to compete with Sandlin through November. As of June 30, Noem had just less than $300,000 in the bank -- about $400,000 less than Sandlin. And the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has reportedly reserved nearly half-a-million dollars in TV air time in the state in the lead-up to Election Day.

According to the Rapid City Journal, Noem asked a group of Republicans there to help her raise $1 million over the next three months in an effort to combat the DCCC's expected onslaught of ads. "That's a ton of air time in South Dakota," Noem said. "And it's going to be attack ads, because that's what they do."

In an interview with RealClearPolitics in Washington last week, Noem said Sandlin, a leader of the moderate Democrats in the House, simply doesn't fit South Dakota. "We are a conservative state," Noem said, insisting that Sandlin's votes in favor of the economic stimulus bill and this year's financial reform package don't match that fact.

Democrats badly want to keep this seat. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen stepped in on Sandlin's behalf to keep physician Kevin Weiland from challenging her in the primary. The added challenge from the more liberal Weiland would have forced Sandlin to spend a chunk of her coffers just to win the nomination.

As Republicans push to win 39 Democratic seats and the House majority, this could prove to be a pivotal seat.