Despite a month of enduring relentless attack ads, pro-life GOP candidate Sharron Angle now leads in several polls over Nevada Democrat Harry Reid, the leader of the U.S. Senate, in what may be the nation’s most hotly contested Senate race.
Rasmussen reports Thursday that Angle has now broken the 50 percent threshold of likely voters, and enjoys a four point lead over Reid (46 percent).
Just two percent of voters would prefer another candidate, and two percent say they are undecided. In Nevada, voters have the option to vote “none of the above,” which conservative activists fear may work to Reid’s advantage rather than Angle’s.
The U.S. Senate Majority Leader, once considered pro-life, was the legislative godfather of the unpopular “Affordable Care Act,” which pro-life advocates roundly attacked for having back-door abortion funding provisions. If Angle takes down Reid on November 2, it would be a major blow to Senate Democrats, who would likely nominate pro-abortion U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) as their next caucus leader.
Reid has waged a fiercely negative ad campaign, intended to make his pro-life and Tea Party-endorsed opponent look kooky and out-of-touch with Nevada voters.
But the tide seems now to be turning in Angle’s favor, as voter dissatisfaction with Reid scores higher than voter problems with Angle.
According to a Fox News/Pulse Opinion Research-Rasmussen poll of 1000 likely voters, 56 percent said the Senate Majority Leader had “been in office too long,” while 53 percent said Angle’s views were “too extreme.” Reid also had higher unfavorable ratings (55 percent) than Angle (53 percent).
According to that poll, Angle is ahead of Reid by three points, 49 percent to 46 percent, and leads in several key voting demographics: women, independents, and voters over 40.
The GOP state senator has consolidated 85 percent of her GOP base, and has the support of a majority of women and independents (both 51 percent).
Reid has the support of his Democrat base (87 percent) and leads Angle among younger voters aged 18-39. But he only slightly beats Angle among men, 49 percent to 48 percent, and trails when it comes to getting the support of women voters (43 percent) and independents (42 percent).
Angle also leads Reid by three points among older voters ages 40-64 (49 percent), and is ahead 10 points among voters ages 65 and up (52 percent.)
The poll results fall within the three-point margin of error.
A CNN/Time poll also has Angle leading Reid, but just by two points (42 percent to 40 percent.)
