A new poll shows the Senate’s top Democrat, Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, trails in a close race over Republican Senate challenger Sharron Angle.
The “tea party”-backed Angle hold a 46 percent to 45 percent lead over Reid in a poll conducted Saturday by Pulse Opinion Research for Fox News.
Most polls taken this month have shown the race to be extremely tight, with either Reid or Angle holding no more than a two percentage-point lead.
Fiftty-four percent of respondents said they disapproved of the way Reid was doing his job, while 41 percent said they approved. Five percent said they weren’t sure.
Thirty-five percent of respondents said Reid’s status as Senate majority leader makes them likely to vote for the senator, while 28 percent said it makes them less likely to support him. Thirty-six percent said it makes no difference.
When respondents were asked how their views about the tea party will affect their vote in the Senate race, 25 percent said they will vote “to express support for the tea party movement,” while 27 percent said they will oppose the movement. Forty-five percent said the tea party will not be a factor in their vote, while 4 percent said they weren’t sure.
