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Lisa Murkowski Runs Evenly with Joe Miller in Alaska Senate Race Poll

1 year ago
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Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, running as a write-in candidate after her defeat for the GOP Senate nomination in Alaska by Tea Party favorite Joe Miller, may be facing the challenge of not having her name on the ballot, but a new CNN/Time/Opinion Research poll shows her in a statistical tie with Miller. (Poll; Story)

Miller has a bare 38 percent to 36 percent lead over Murkowski with Democrat Scott McAdams, the mayor of Sitka, at 22 percent, according to the poll conducted Sept. 24-28. The margin of error is 3 points. Two percent don't like any of the choices and 2 percent are undecided.

A Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Sept. 19 had Miller leading Murkowski by 42 percent to 27 percent with 25 percent for McAdams.
Lisa MurkowskiCNN polling director Keating Holland said, "It looks like Alaska Democrats may be planning to do some strategic voting. Nearly four in ten Democratic likely voters say they plan to write in Murkowski's name. That's an indication that a lot of Democrats are more interested in defeating Miller than they are in electing a member of their own party."

Polling analyst Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com says there is "plenty of precedent" for write-in candidates for Congress to win, but observes, "The extent to which Ms. Murkowski, as a write-in, will sacrifice votes she otherwise might have received is unclear. Some voters might forget that she is running, or they might find it too cumbersome to fill out her name. Others might desire to do so, but might fill out their ballots incorrectly."

He notes that Murkowski had $1.8 million cash on hand in her early August filing to the Federal Election Commission, although it is not clear how much of that she spent in her primary fight.

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43 Comments

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revivalman

Joe Miller was the elected nominee of the Republican party. Lisa Murkowsk is little more than a sore loser, who has made clear by here actions, that she is willing to put her selfish ego in front of her party. By placing her name on the ballot as a write-in and splitting the party votes, she creates the very real possibility that Democrat Scott McAdams will win the Senate seat.

October 04 2010 at 4:40 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Pat

Get over yourself Lisa, the people have spoken. Now it's time to move on.

October 04 2010 at 4:40 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
lewmarkrealty

People would have to be ignorant of history to vote for Miller. Read a history book and see exactly why the minimum wage law was created and has been maintained.

October 04 2010 at 3:42 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ajcook111

Joe Miller has said that his parents could not survive without monthly social security checks. He went on to say he wants to end social security and other programs that benefit seniors. This man is not the best choice for Senator from Alaska.

September 30 2010 at 2:43 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
seanpetrol70

No one can spell Murkowski. In order to be counted as write in, the name has to be spelled correctly. A vote for her is a vote for the democratic challenger Scott McAdams.

September 30 2010 at 1:38 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
suwun

Voters who vote for people like Murkowski and Crist of Fl may better think about what they are voting for. Obviously these candidates are most interested in themselves and power, the opposite of what we need for representatives of the people in dc. It's hard enough to keep our representatives on track to vote as we, the people, want them to when they are men/women of principle - a virtue that these two do not burden themselves with.

September 30 2010 at 8:06 AM Report abuse +4 rate up rate down Reply
brianjconway

I'm a Republican and I know I'm speaking before a mixed audience here, but what I have to say may be relevant to Democrats also. Our major parties have employed a primary system for years, and I feel that generally, they empower the average voter, and keep the party leadership in touch with thier constituents. The primary losers, Republican or Democrat are acting as spoilers. My checkbook is closed to the GOP until they get the spoilers in line, and I will NEVER vote for any spoiler for any office.

September 30 2010 at 7:58 AM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
ted1546

What a horrible politician this lady Murkowski is for simply not allowing the process to take hold. Nope...she boo hoo's without understanding fair and just processes. Only in Ameica is such nonsense tolerated.

September 30 2010 at 7:24 AM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
marin20783

Great news. It seemed out of character that the fiercely independent people of Alaska would be so willing to hand over their rights and government stability to an ultra right wing extremist, or a nice but untested opposition candidate. Lisa Murkowski is the voice of experience, the citizen's right to a fair and ethical government, and just good common sense.

September 30 2010 at 7:01 AM Report abuse -5 rate up rate down Reply
mymomkas

Politics have never been nice or pretty. This kind of behavior has always been going on behind the closed doors of politicians. When politicians can campaign with lies and misleading reports about their opponents, what do we expect? It is time for all of us to hold these people accountable for what they say and do during campaigns and in office. I believe the voters of Alaska have tried to do this and yet the politicians find a way to ignore what the people are telling them with their votes. It really does look like Lisa Murkowski believes the voters are not capable of making the right decision by her write-in campaign. Hats off to the voters of Alaska for voting her off the ballot. Perhaps when she loses the write-in campaign it will sink in her thick head that you are not that stupid after all.

September 30 2010 at 12:50 AM Report abuse +7 rate up rate down Reply

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