Poll Shows More Trouble in Nevada for Harry Reid

By: Sergey Kadinsky
Topics: Campaign 2010

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

A new poll suggests even more trouble for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in his home state.

Only 38 percent of the 625 registered Nevada voters polled had a favorable opinion of Reid in the poll released by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research that was commissioned by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Forty-nine percent of respondents had an unfavorable opinion of Reid in the poll with 13 percent remaining neutral.

The results follow an aggressive early advertising campaign by Reid.

"I'd be worried," Bowdoin College political advertising specialist Michael Franz tells the Review-Journal. "I'd stop if I had aired ads for two or three weeks and it wasn't moving the needle."

Sensing an opportunity to oust the leading Senate Democrat, Republicans are facing a crowded primary, with 9 candidates running. The leading names are former state party chairwoman Sue Lowden, and businessman Danny Tarkanian.

The Mason-Dixon poll favors Lowden over Reid at 51 percent to 41 percent, and Tarkanian over Reid at 48 percent to 42 percent. The fear that Reid's fifth Senate term could be his last, prompted Vice President Joe Biden to visit Reno in October for a fundraiser.

"It just shows that Reid has reached a point where people aren't listening to him anymore," Tarkanian consultant Jamie Fisfis told the Review-Journal.

Nevertheless, Democratic strategists hope that a divisive Republican primary would boost Reid's numbers.

"They have to go through the primary, and at some point the gloves will come off," pollster Brad Coker tells the Review-Journal. "If the Republican primary becomes a bloodbath, they might change these numbers down the road."

5 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment


by danram69 December 12, 2009 5:04 PM EST: Calciphus, an opinion poll of 625 people, as long as it's weighted properly and the questions are phrased properly, is actually a pretty good sample size, especially if you're only polling a state like Nevada where the population is around 2,600,000 or so.

Based on this poll, I'd say Harry Reid is in very serious political trouble. I certainly hope this is the case. If he were to lose, it would be a major plus for both Nevada and the rest of the country. Harry Reid is a perfect example of everything that's wrong with Washington today. One has to think that the good citizens of Nevada have been embarrassed enough by now.; Reply to this comment


by danram69 December 12, 2009 5:03 PM EST: Calciphus, an opinion poll of 625 people, as long as it's weighted properly and the questions are phrased properly, is actually a pretty good sample size, especially if you're only polling a state like Nevada where the population is around 2,600,000 or so.

Based on this poll, I'd say Harry Reid is in very serious political trouble. I certainly hope this is the case. If he were to lose, it would be a major plus for both Nevada and the rest of the country. Harry Reid is a perfect example of everything that's wrong with Washington today. One has to think that the good citizens of Nevada have been embarrassed enough by now.; Reply to this comment


by stn_sage December 4, 2009 5:10 PM EST: Great! It looks like the citizens of Nevada are going to show the rest of the country how it's done...that is, getting rid of incumbents who aren't getting results!

God bless you all in Nevada!; Reply to this comment


by cargam1 December 4, 2009 4:11 PM EST: People in Nevada have to be smart enough to realize that this guy is an empty suit, ill equipped to run the affairs of the senate. Just like the rest of the current leadership in the house..... lightweights!; Reply to this comment


by calciphus December 4, 2009 3:55 PM EST: Seriously, you're doing a public opinion poll with 625 respondents? Come on.; Reply to this comment