Washington Senator Maria Cantwell (D) and her challenger Mike McGavick (R) can both find some good news in the latest Rasmussen Reports election poll.

For Cantwell, the good news is easy to spot. She continues to hold a double digit lead, 50% to 36%. That's little changed from earlier polls on this race. The Senator is viewed favorably by 57% of the voters in her state, a figure that is also consistent with earlier surveys.

McGavick can take some comfort in the fact that Cantwell is barely at the 50% level of voter support. Incumbents who slip below that level are generally considered vulnerable. Also, McGavick's favorables have increased a bit since our January survey. Forty-three percent (43%) now have a favorable opinion of the Safeco CEO, up from 38% a month ago.

Perhaps even more significant is the trend in unfavorable opinions. Forty-one percent (41%) have an unfavorable opinion of Cantwell, up from 38% a month ago.

Twenty-nine percent (29%) of voters have an unfavorable opinion of McGavick, down from 34% in January.

Cantwell is helped by the fact that the state's voters are generally more receptive to Democrats than Republicans. By a 48% to 41% margin, Washington voters trust Democrats in Congress more than the President when it comes to the situation in Iraq.

On the economy, Democrats in Congress are favored by a 51% to 38% margin.

Crosstabs and other data from this survey is available to Premium Members.