GOP's Blunt Maintains Lead Over Carnahan in Missouri Senate Race

The race to fill the seat of Missouri's retiring GOP Sen. Kit Bond continues to be in a holding pattern, with seven-term Republican Rep. Roy Blunt ahead of Democratic Secretary of State Robin Carnahan by about the same margin he has enjoyed since January, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted March 9.

Blunt leads 47 percent to 41 percent with 4 percent preferring another candidate and 8 percent undecided. His margin last month was 7 points and it was 6 points in January. The margin of error is 4.5 points.Blunt is seen more favorably by voters than Carnahan, but the bulk of those are in the "somewhat favorable" category, which Rasmussen regards as a less important indicator at this stage than the "very favorables." Overall, Blunt is seen favorably by 56 percent (but with only 14 percent viewing him "very favorably") while 37 percent regard him unfavorably, with 7 percent undecided. Carnahan is seen unfavorably by 48 percent and favorably by 47 percent, with 6 percent undecided.

Blunt gets 85 percent support from fellow Republicans while Carnahan gets 76 percent from Democrats. Blunt leads her 56 percent to 28 percent among unaffiliated voters, with 4 percent of them preferring another choice and 12 percent undecided. Conservatives overwhelmingly back Blunt and liberals do the same for Carnahan. She leads among moderates by 49 percent to 29 percent with 5 percent preferring another choice and 17 percent undecided.

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