Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Email to a Friend

The U.S. Senate race in Alaska remains a dead heat. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state finds incumbent Republican Ted Stevens barely leading Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich 49% to 48%.

Last month, Begich was on top 48% to 46%. Stevens, who is seeking a seventh term in the Senate, fell behind his challenger back in July after he was indicted for allegedly hiding more than $250,000 in illegal gifts from an oil company. Prior to this, the race had been a toss-up for several months.

Stevens' slight bump up in the race comes after his federal trial began last month in Washington, D.C. Stevens defeated two challengers in the state GOP primary even after his indictment.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? Sign up now. If it's in the news, it's in our polls).

Begich is now viewed more favorably than the incumbent. The mayor is viewed favorably by 59% and unfavorably by 36%. Stevens’ ratings are 54% favorable, 44% unfavorable.

Begich currently leads his opponent 56% to 39% among unaffiliated voters in Alaska. The race is identical between men and women, with 49% going for Stevens and 48% who favor Begich (Premium Members can view full demographic crosstabs.)

Alaska Governor -- and now John McCain’s running mate -- Sarah Palin earns good or excellent reviews from 62% of voters in her home state, while 23% rate her job performance as poor.

McCain continues to hold a strong lead over Barack Obama in Alaska’s presidential race. The latest poll will be released today at 5 p.m.

Rasmussen Markets data currently gives Stevens a --% chance of retaining his seat in the Senate. Numbers in this paragraph are from a prediction market, not a poll. We invite you to participate in the Rasmussen Markets. It costs nothing to join and add your voice to the collective wisdom of the market.

New polling was released Monday night with statewide results from Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Ohio and Virginia. See an overview of all five state polls and the latest Electoral College projections. A total of 270 Electoral Votes are needed to win the White House (see 50-State Summary).

Recent statewide presidential polls have been released for Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington. Demographic crosstabs for all state polling are available for Premium Members. Learn More.

See results from recent polling on Senate races.

See survey questions and toplines. Crosstabs available for Premium Members only.