After garnering support levels in the high 50s for the last several months, Democratic Senator Robert Byrd has pierced the 60% threshold in our polling to now lead Republican John Raese 63% to 30% (see crosstabs).

That adds eight points to the spread. Our August survey showed the Senator over-flying his Republican opponent 56% to 31%, a mere twenty-five-point advantage.

Byrd, the longest-serving member of the U.S. Senate, is known for his oratory, unabashed vigor in bringing pork projects to his state, and opposition to the war in Iraq. Should he win, he will be 89 as he begins his new term.

A West Virginia paper noted in a recent editorial that the Republican challenger is still being sighted on the campaign trail, implying that Raese's efforts to replace Byrd, albeit foundering, are not yet dead.

Senator Byrd is viewed favorably by 74%, "very favorably" by 47%. Reese is viewed favorably by 42%, "very favorably" by only 12%; 23% view him "very unfavorably."

Another popular Democrat in the state is Governor Joe Manchin; his job performance wins 79% overall approval, 41% strong approval. The latter figure is close to the proportion, 42%, who "strongly disapprove" of the performance of President Bush.

The frequent discrepancy in how Republican voters and Democratic voters view the ideology of their candidates is quite marked in Byrd's case. Fifty-six percent (56%) of Republicans see the Senator as politically liberal, 21% as moderate. By contrast, 46% of Democrats see him as moderate, only 18% as liberal. And an even greater number of Democrats, 28%, see him as conservative.

Raese is seen as conservative by a plurality of each of these groups, and by 55% of liberals.

Crosstabs available for Premium Members only.