Joe Miller Leads Both Lisa Murkowski and Scott McAdams in Alaska Senate Race

Republican Joe Miller holds a big lead in the Senate race in Alaska which has turned into a three-way race pitting him against Democrat Scott McAdams and the write-in candidacy of GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Sept. 19.

Rasmussen advises caution in digesting the results of this poll since Murkowski, as a write-in candidate, faces the challenge of not having her name on the ballot that voters will see.

But presented with the three-way match-up, Miller polled 42 percent to 27 percent for Murkowski and 25 percent for McAdams with 1 percent preferring some other candidate and 5 percent undecided.

Miller, who rode a Tea Party movement wave of support in wresting the GOP nomination from Murkowski, holds on to 65 percent of the Republican vote while Murkowski gets 27 percent. McAdams gets 74 percent backing from fellow Democrats.
In Washington, Senate Republicans planned a vote to strip Murkowski of her ranking position on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee for her challenge to the party's candidate.

Miller is seen unfavorably by 51 percent and favorably by 45 percent of Alaska likely voters, with 4 percent not sure. But at 35 percent, he has the highest percentage of voters who say they see him "very" unfavorably.

Murkowski is seen favorably by 55 percent and unfavorably by 44 percent, with 2 percent not sure. McAdams, the mayor of Sitka, is seen unfavorably by 46 percent and favorably by 36 percent. But he suffers from the fact that 18 percent of voters don't yet know enough about him to have an opinion.

Follow Poll Watch on Twitter

Visit the Poll Watch Home Page and see all the latest polls in one place

Read Politics Daily's 2010 Elections Round-Up