October 14th, 2010
10:07 AM ET
12 years ago

Polls: Reid-Angle Senate battle deadlocked

(CNN) - Hours before Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican challenger Sharron Angle face off in a debate for the first time, two new polls indicate that Nevada's Senate battle remains tied.

According to a Las Vegas Review-Journal and 8NewsNow survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling, 47 percent of likely voters support Angle, with 45 percent backing Reid, four percent undecided, two percent supporting other candidates and two percent saying they will vote for "none of the candidates," which is allowed in Nevada. Angle's two-point advantage is within the poll's sampling error.

A Suffolk University survey released Wednesday indicates that 46 percent of likely voters in Nevada support Reid, the top Democrat in the Senate, with 43 percent backing Angle, a former state lawmaker who enjoys strong support by many Tea Party activists. The other six candidates on the ballot are in the low single digits, with four percent saying they will vote for none of the candidates, and three percent undecided. Reid's three-point advantage is within the survey's sampling error.

The Suffolk University poll indicates that Angle holds a 22-point advantage over Reid among independent and non-partisan voters.

According to the poll, Nevadans are split on the job Reid's doing, with 49 percent saying they approve of how he is handling his duties as a senator, and 47 percent saying they disapprove. But only 43 percent have a favorable opinion of the four-term senator, with 54 percent saying they see him in a negative light.

Forty-one percent of people questioned say they have a favorable opinion of Angle, with 52 percent saying they hold an unfavorable opinion of her.

Reid and Angle debate for the first time Thursday night. Early voting in Nevada begins Saturday.

According to the Mason-Dixon poll, Angle has gained among Republicans and even Democrats, but Reid narrowed the gap among non-partisan voters to eight points.
"I wouldn't call it momentum so much as what you would expect to happen as undecided voters start to drift a little bit toward the non-incumbent," Mason-Dixon pollster Brad Coker tells the Las Vegas Review-Journal, regarding Angle's slight gains. "At the end of the day, if Nevada voters really want to get rid of Reid, they'll vote for just about anybody. And I've always said this race is a referendum on Reid."

The Las Vegas Review-Journal 8NewsNow poll was conducted October 11-12 by Mason-Dixon Polling, with 625 likely Nevada voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus four percentage points.

The Suffolk University poll was conducted October 8-11, with 500 likely voters in Nevada questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Get the latest poll results here.


Filed under: 2010 • Harry Reid • Nevada • Polls • Sharron Angle
soundoff (14 Responses)
  1. Jennifer

    NV, the chose is obvious. Angle is a nutcase.

    October 14, 2010 10:10 am at 10:10 am |
  2. Jerry

    I am life-long Democrat, but it's about time Reed was "put out to pasture." Before he, President NObama and Pelosi do more damage to our beloved country.

    October 14, 2010 10:15 am at 10:15 am |
  3. Lucullus

    And that;s why we are all ska-rued. If the people of Nevada can't see that Angle is at best a moron and at worst completely bat-sh*t crazy then there is no hope for us. If she and the others of her kind get into office you can all cheer when the bow of the ship of state slips beneath the waves. I am so sick of the lazy, uninformed, uneducated, not to bright to begin with yahoos in the country who vote without having a clue as to what they are voting for and thus ruining it for everyone. And for all you yahoos out there who take offense to what I say just bare in mind that almost 40% of the people in this country can't even identify a picture of the Vice President. What a tragedy

    October 14, 2010 10:18 am at 10:18 am |
  4. VB Lincoln Park NJ

    The recent news about the foreclosure abuse by national banks points up what could happen if the GOBP is allowed to come into power on a national level. It has become so obvious that the GOBP is the enemy of the middle class working people of this country, and only cares about the rich and super rich.

    October 14, 2010 10:26 am at 10:26 am |
  5. vic nashville tn

    The message has certainly changed from hope and change to 'fear and smear'," Angle said

    Dearborn and Frankford, Texas are subject to Sharia, or Islamic law. Angle said

    NO Show candidate Sharron Angle

    Sharron Angle doesn’t know what she is saying or doing

    October 14, 2010 10:27 am at 10:27 am |
  6. nru

    I would like to know why Nevada has no one better choice than a tax and spender and a lunatic

    October 14, 2010 10:27 am at 10:27 am |
  7. aproudmemberoftheunpatrioticmob

    Good to hear that Angle is holding her own despite all of the stimulus money that Obama and Reid gave the corrupt and slimy unions is being used against her. Also apprently the MSM and Democrat liberal anti feminist, racial and bigoted campaign is not working against her, although they can take comfort that their boosterism for the Democrat liberal party seems to be working in Delaware.

    October 14, 2010 10:27 am at 10:27 am |
  8. kat

    I love Las Vegas and usually visit there at least once per year, but if the people of Nevada are stupid enough to keep this clown (Reid) in office then I would like to ask people to stick with me and avoid Las Vegas or any other part of Nevada until he's done. He has been a big player in the mess we're in now as a country. It always amazes me how these career politicians can keep being reelected, doesn't anyone pay attention to what's going on?

    October 14, 2010 10:34 am at 10:34 am |
  9. Sorensen

    She is old, wrinkled and stupid. Great for the great republiCONS.

    October 14, 2010 10:38 am at 10:38 am |
  10. Mikey

    This has to be the worst choice in the upcoming elections. Reid, who typifies everything that is wrong with entrenched Democrats, and Angle, who is a neon billboard for everyting that is wrong with the new G-O-Tea party. Still, you have to go with the one who is SANE and has a BRAIN. That is Harry Reid. Please, Nevada, please – do not put a lunatic in the Senate just because you are fruatrated with your incumbant.

    October 14, 2010 10:39 am at 10:39 am |
  11. ThinkAgain

    Sharon Angle is a complete idiot – why would anyone ever vote for her? She's paranoid, she lies, she blames "the media" for simply reporting the words she says, and she can't handle any kind of push-back on her idiot statements.

    She's a loser, Nevada – don't be foolish and vote for this train wreck of a woman!

    October 14, 2010 10:56 am at 10:56 am |
  12. Rachel

    How come we can't post under the casting call that was put out for President Obama's townhall? That's a bit unfair. This was found out the same time people were criticizing the republicans for the hicky casting call in West Virigina. Did this casting call for young beautiful people? Both of these parties make me sick right now they are both doing the same thing. Lying to the people and beign hypocrites.

    October 14, 2010 10:57 am at 10:57 am |
  13. Claudia, Houston, Tx

    This woman should be on the "terror alert list" and not a debate.

    October 14, 2010 10:59 am at 10:59 am |
  14. Eric in Denver

    Dear Nevada if you want the highest unemployment in the country, one of the highest foreclosure markets, a bad economy, reduced housing prices, and a washed up hack liberal vote for Harry Reid. Pretty simple choice either vote for the same pathetic big spending liberal or vote for change(Not too be confused with the socialist change that Barry brought us).

    October 14, 2010 11:18 am at 11:18 am |