Republican Leads Over Harry Reid Slip, But He's Not Out of the Woods

While Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid still remains stuck at levels of support ranging between 39 percent and 41 percent, he is now running within the margin of error against all his potential GOP rivals, according to a Mason-Dixon poll conducted May 24-26 for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. However, that could change once Republicans rally around a nominee.

Meanwhile, the Republican who had long been viewed as the frontrunner and had held the biggest leads over Reid in previous polls, former state GOP chair Sue Lowden, now has a Tea Party-endorsed candidate pulling to within a point of her.

Lowden has a 42 percent to 39 percent lead over Reid with 6 percent preferring neither candidate, 3 percent preferring someone else and 10 percent undecided.

Reid leads Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle, a state assemblywoman, by 42 percent to 39 percent with 5 percent preferring someone else, 4 percent preferring none of the choices and 10 percent undecided.

Businessman and former college basketball start Danny Tarkanian leads Reid by 42 percent to 41 percent with 4 percent preferring someone else, 3 percent not liking either, and 10 percent undecided.

The margin of error is 4 points.

In Rasmussen reports polls at the beginning and end of March, the three Republicans were hovering at or above the 50 percent mark with Reid in the 39 percent to 41 percent territory.

"If Harry Reid had to pick his opponent he would pick Sharron Angle," Mason-Dixon's Brad Coker told the Review-Journal. "She's the most polarizing. She's clearly the most conservative. But that 20 percent of independent voters are the ones who are going to decide this election. And it's easier for them to pick a Lowden or even a Tarkanian."

The poll indicates that Reid could get that wish.

As the June 8 Senate primary approaches, Lowden is polling 30 percent to Angle's 29 percent, with Tarkanian at 23 percent. Other candidates share 7 percent while 3 percent of voters don't like any of the choices and 8 percent are undecided. The margin of error is 4.5 points.

Noting that Reid had not improved his own level of support, Coker told the Review-Journal, "Reid is where he's always been. After the Republican primary, there will be time for the nominee to put their campaign back together. And I think Reid will do a lot to unify the Republicans against him."

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