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.

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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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See survey questions and toplines. Crosstabs are available to Platinum Members only.