(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Incumbent Robert Byrd could earn a new term as one of West Virginia’s representatives to the United States Senate, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 57 per cent of respondents in the Mountain State would vote for the Democratic politician, while 34 per cent would support Republican rival John Raese.
(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Incumbent Robert Byrd could earn a new term as one of West Virginia’s representatives to the United States Senate, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 57 per cent of respondents in the Mountain State would vote for the Democratic politician, while 34 per cent would support Republican rival John Raese.
Byrd was first elected to the United States Senate in 1958, defeating Republican William Chapman Revercomb. Byrd—currently the longest-serving senator—has been re-elected seven times, winning a majority in all but seven of the Mountain State’s precincts in the 2000 ballot.
Raese is the former chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party and the chief executive officer of Greer Industries.
Yesterday, Raese praised the federal government’s decision to deploy the National Guard in the U.S.-Mexico border, saying, “If I were in the Senate today, I would support doing whatever it takes to secure our borders.” Byrd questioned the rationale for the move, declaring, “Our National Guardsmen have taken on two, three, sometimes four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
The election to the U.S. Senate is scheduled for Nov. 7.
Polling Data
Election 2006 – West Virginia Senate
Apr. 25 | Feb. 19 | |
Robert Byrd (D) | 57% | 58% |
John Raese (R) | 34% | 32% |
Source: Rasmussen Reports
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 500 likely West Virginia voters, conducted on Apr. 25, 2006. Margin of error is 4.5 per cent.
