Democrat Lincoln Vulnerable in Arkansas Senate Race

Two-term Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln faces an uphill battle to hold her seat for the Democrats in 2010 with four Republican challengers besting her in potential match-ups, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Sept. 28.

State Sen. Kim Hendren, who invited some unwelcome attention in May when he referred to New York Sen. Charles Schumer as "that Jew," leads Lincoln 44 percent to 41 percent with 5 percent preferring some other candidate and 10 percent undecided. That's a statistical tie given the poll's 4.5 point margin of error.

State Sen. Gilbert Baker leads Lincoln 47 percent to 39 percent with 5 percent preferring another candidate and 8 percent undecided.

Businessman Curtis Coleman , an adviser to former Gov. Mike Huckabee, is also in a statistical tie with Lincoln, leading her 43 percent to 41 percent with 5 percent preferring someone else and 11 percent undecided.

Tom Cox, the founder and chairman of the Arkansas Tea Party, leads Lincoln, though again within the margin of error. He polls 43 percent to her 40 percent with 6 percent preferring another candidate and 11 percent undecided.

For better or for worse, Lincoln is much more recognizable to Arkansas voters than the four Republicans. Only 4 percent don't know enough about her to say whether they view her favorably or not, while all the others are unknown by 38 percent or more. That said, Lincoln is viewed unfavorably by 52 percent and favorably by 45 percent, an outcome that may be influenced by the fact that, as a member of the Senate Finance Committee, she is involved with the hot-potato issue of health care reform, which is highly unpopular in the state.