Republican Senator Norm Coleman enjoys a 10-point lead over DFL hopeful Al Franken, according to a new survey of 644 registered voters by SurveyUSA, conducted on March 12th.

Coleman leads Franken 51 to 41 percent, with 7 percent undecided. This represents a 9-point swing in Coleman’s favor from the last SurveyUSA poll taken in mid-February. It is also Coleman’s largest lead in any public poll conducted since May 2007, when a MPR survey measured Coleman’s lead at 22 points, 54 to 32 percent.

Coleman also continues to lead by wide margins against the other DFL candidates, Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer (57 to 28 percent) and Darryl Stanton (57 to 27 percent).

Coleman’s seat remains one of the prime targets of the Democrats this fall, and is considered a toss-up by several D.C. analysts. However, Coleman may benefit in November now that a moderate Republican presidential nominee like John McCain will be at the top of the ballot, provided McCain can distance himself enough from President George W. Bush to win over independents, who continue to have an extremely unfavorable opinion of the President in the Gopher State.

Posted in Minnesota, MN US Senate, National Politics, U.S. Senate

2 Comments

  1. McCain Exposer on March 17, 2008 at 10:37 am

    “However, Coleman may benefit in November now that a moderate Republican presidential nominee like John McCain will be at the top of the ballot”

    Yeah, right, good ol moderate John “Waterboard” McCain.

    http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/13/mccain-waterboarding-fail/

    Put down that glass of Kool Aid, son, I think you’ve had enough.

    Reply
  2. Eric Ostermeier on March 17, 2008 at 2:30 pm

    Putting aside whether or not John McCain is, objectively, a moderate voice in the Republican Party (and a strong case for that could be made), it is certainly the case that he is perceived as such. Thus, it would have perhaps been more artful if I had written “perceived moderate Republican presidential nominee.”

    Reply

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