By Emily Cadei CQ Politics
A new poll conducted Aug. 30-Sept. 2 from DailyKos and Research 2000 confirms that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is in trouble going into his 2010 re-election.
Though he still has more than a year until he faces Nevada voters the fact that this poll and one conducted in August show him trailing relatively no-name GOP opponents is bound to be troubling for Reid and his allies.
In a hypothetical head-to-head match-up Reid trails declared Republican challenger Danny Tarkanian 40 percent to 45 percent just clearing the 4 percent margin of error with 15 percent undecided. Tarkanian a Las Vegas real estate developer and son of famed college basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian lost his two previous attempts at elected office in 2006 in the race for Nevada secretary of State and in 2004 for state Senate. Forty-seven percent of respondents however hold a favorable opinion of Tarkanian; 25 percent have no opinion.
Reid also trails Sue Lowden who just announced Wednesday night that she is resigning her post as state party chairwoman as she explores a Senate bid. Lowdens lead - 44 percent to 41 percent - is within the margin of error however. A third of voters have yet to form an opinion of the former state senator who lost her last campaign for political office for state Senate in 1996. Forty-three percent held a favorable view of Lowden.
Far more likely voters have formed an opinion of Reid but its not a positive one. Fifty-two percent of respondents said they had an unfavorable view of the four-term Democrat while just 36 percent viewed him favorably. His unfavorable rating is just a point lower than Nevadas other senator Republican John Ensign who admitted to an affair with the wife of one of his top aides in June.
Reids favorability is even anemic among Democrats with 58 percent viewing him favorably and nearly a third - 32 percent - holding an unfavorable view. Fifty-seven percent of the critical independent voting bloc have an unfavorable opinion of Reid.
The only politician polled who has lower ratings than Reid is Republican Gov.Jim Gibbons. Just 17 percent of respondents have a favorable opinion of Gibbons while 60 percent hold an unfavorable view. Numbers like those are what has prompted other Republican to get into next years governors race despite Gibbons insistence that he is running for re-election.
The one bright spot for Reid in this poll: a majority of likely Nevada voters favor the reaction of a government-administered health insurance option something he has championed in the Senate. Should the so-called public option pass as part of the Democrat-backed health care overhaul that could be a positive selling point in next years campaign.
CQ Politics rates the general election race as Leans Democratic.
To see how the 2010 Senate races are shaping up check out the CQ Politics election map.
