Theres a long way to go before the 2010 elections but public opinion in Nevada suggests that things certainly could be going better for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his political family.
Reid who is preparing to run for a fifth Senate term trailed two potential GOP challengers real estate developer Danny Tarkanian and Nevada Republican Party Chairwoman Sue Lowden in a survey taken by Mason Dixon Polling and released Sunday by the Las Vegas Review Journal.
And Rory Reid the senators son and a county commissioner in Las Vegas lagged in third place in a three-way match-up of potential Democratic candidates for the 2010 Nevada governors race -- according to Mason-Dixon polling released Friday.
The Senate poll of Nevada voters conducted Aug. 17 and 18 showed the elder Reid trailing Tarkanian by 49 percent to 38 percent in a hypothetical Senate match-up. Tarkanian -- whose father Jerry Tarkanian is the famed former mens basketball coach at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas -- has officially launched his campaign.
Lowden who currently is exploring a possible Senate challenge edged Reid by 45 percent to 40 percent in the poll.
It appears Reid will have to ramp up his efforts to impress his Nevada constituents on the importance of his leadership position to the state. His approval ratings back home continue to be stuck in the 30s: 37 percent held a favorable view of Reids job performance while 50 percent held an unfavorable view. That marks an increase of both his positive and negative ratings compared to July when 34 percent viewed him favorably and 47 percent unfavorably.
Tarkanian who lost previous bids for the state Senate and Nevada secretary of state led the field of potential GOP primary contenders receiving 33 percent to 14 percent for Lowden 5 percent for former state Assemblywoman Sharron Angle and 1 percent for Reno attorney Chuck Kozak. Forty-seven percent of Republican voters who responded to the poll said they are undecided.
Mason Dixons poll on a possible Democratic primary matchup for governor showed Rory Reid currently a Clark County commissioner with the support of 13 percent of Democratic respondents to 34 percent for Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and 25 percent for state Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley. Twenty-eight percent were undecided.
Reid and Buckley intend to run for the Democratic nomination. But Goodman though he has expressed interest in running for governor is seen as likely run as an independent if he were to join the race. In a two-way match-up Buckley led Reid 43 to 22 percent with 35 percent undecided.
At this point the outcome of the general election for governor looks to hinge on who the Republicans nominate. If Republican incumbent Jim Gibbons somehow manages to turn overcome his extremely low approval ratings and win re-nomination the poll suggests would lose to all three Democratic nominees by double-digit margins. But if Republicans were to opt for former state Attorney General Brian Sandoval the reverse would be true.
Sandoval has not publicly expressed interest in the campaign but his resignation last week from a lifetime post as a federal judge has raised speculation that he will join the race. In a hypothetical primary match-up Sandoval took 33 percent of the Republican vote compared to 17 percent for Gibbons 3 percent for former North Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montandon and 1 percent for former state Sen. Joe Heck. Forty-six percent were undecided.
Nevadas other senator Republican John Ensign should thank his lucky stars hes not up for re-election until 2012. The Review-Journal poll found that 60 percent of voters said they would either consider or definitely vote for whomever runs against him while just 30 percent said they would vote to re-elect him. Ensigns standing in the state has sunk dramatically since he admitted in June to an extramarital affair with a campaign aide who is the wife of a longtime friend who at the time was one of Ensigns senior staffers.
Theres a long way to go before the 2010 elections but public opinion in Nevada suggests that things certainly could be going better for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his political family.
Reid who is preparing to run for a fifth Senate term trailed two potential GOP challengers real estate developer Danny Tarkanian and Nevada Republican Party Chairwoman Sue Lowden in a survey taken by Mason Dixon Polling and released Sunday by the Las Vegas Review Journal.
And Rory Reid the senators son and a county commissioner in Las Vegas lagged in third place in a three-way match-up of potential Democratic candidates for the 2010 Nevada governors race -- according to Mason-Dixon polling released Friday.
The Senate poll of Nevada voters conducted Aug. 17 and 18 showed the elder Reid trailing Tarkanian by 49 percent to 38 percent in a hypothetical Senate match-up. Tarkanian -- whose father Jerry Tarkanian is the famed former mens basketball coach at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas -- has officially launched his campaign.
Lowden who currently is exploring a possible Senate challenge edged Reid by 45 percent to 40 percent in the poll.
It appears Reid will have to ramp up his efforts to impress his Nevada constituents on the importance of his leadership position to the state. His approval ratings back home continue to be stuck in the 30s: 37 percent held a favorable view of Reids job performance while 50 percent held an unfavorable view. That marks an increase of both his positive and negative ratings compared to July when 34 percent viewed him favorably and 47 percent unfavorably.
Tarkanian who lost previous bids for the state Senate and Nevada secretary of state led the field of potential GOP primary contenders receiving 33 percent to 14 percent for Lowden 5 percent for former state Assemblywoman Sharron Angle and 1 percent for Reno attorney Chuck Kozak. Forty-seven percent of Republican voters who responded to the poll said they are undecided.
Mason Dixons poll on a possible Democratic primary matchup for governor showed Rory Reid currently a Clark County commissioner with the support of 13 percent of Democratic respondents to 34 percent for Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and 25 percent for state Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley. Twenty-eight percent were undecided.
Reid and Buckley intend to run for the Democratic nomination. But Goodman though he has expressed interest in running for governor is seen as likely run as an independent if he were to join the race. In a two-way match-up Buckley led Reid 43 to 22 percent with 35 percent undecided.
At this point the outcome of the general election for governor looks to hinge on who the Republicans nominate. If Republican incumbent Jim Gibbons somehow manages to turn overcome his extremely low approval ratings and win re-nomination the poll suggests would lose to all three Democratic nominees by double-digit margins. But if Republicans were to opt for former state Attorney General Brian Sandoval the reverse would be true.
Sandoval has not publicly expressed interest in the campaign but his resignation last week from a lifetime post as a federal judge has raised speculation that he will join the race. In a hypothetical primary match-up Sandoval took 33 percent of the Republican vote compared to 17 percent for Gibbons 3 percent for former North Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montandon and 1 percent for former state Sen. Joe Heck. Forty-six percent were undecided.
Nevadas other senator Republican John Ensign should thank his lucky stars hes not up for re-election until 2012. The Review-Journal poll found that 60 percent of voters said they would either consider or definitely vote for whomever runs against him while just 30 percent said they would vote to re-elect him. Ensigns standing in the state has sunk dramatically since he admitted in June to an extramarital affair with a campaign aide who is the wife of a longtime friend who at the time was one of Ensigns senior staffers.
