- Sheldon Whitehouse is holding on to the lead in Rhode Island’s United States Senate race, according to the latest poll by Gallup. 48 per cent of respondents in the Ocean State would vote for the Democratic challenger, while 45 per cent would support Republican incumbent Lincoln Chafee.
- Sheldon Whitehouse is holding on to the lead in Rhode Island’s United States Senate race, according to the latest poll by Gallup. 48 per cent of respondents in the Ocean State would vote for the Democratic challenger, while 45 per cent would support Republican incumbent Lincoln Chafee.
A late October survey by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. gave Chafee a one-point advantage over Whitehouse.
Chafee was appointed to the U.S. Senate in October 1999, following the death of his father and four-term senator John Chafee. In 2000, he was elected to a six-year term with 57 per cent of all cast ballots, defeating Democrat Robert Weygand. Chafee has had several disagreements with the GOP, even choosing not to vote for George W. Bush in the 2004 U.S. presidential election.
Whitehouse served as Rhode Island’s attorney general from 1999 to 2003. He was defeated in the 2002 Democratic gubernatorial primary by three-time candidate Myrth York.
The Republican and Democratic primaries took place on Sept. 12. Chafee defeated Cranston mayor Stephen Laffey with 54 per cent of the vote, while Whitehouse won in a contest against Marine Corps veteran Carl Sheeler.
The election to the U.S. Senate will take place today.
Polling Data
Election 2006 – Rhode Island U.S. Senate
Incumbent: Lincoln Chafee (R)
Challenger: Sheldon Whitehouse (D)
Chafee (R) | Whitehouse (D) | Date | Methodology | MofE | |
Gallup | 45% | 48% | Nov. 1-4 | Phone, 880 LV | 4.0 |
Mason-Dixon | 46% | 45% | Oct. 31-Nov. 1 | Phone, 625 LV | 4.0 |
Zogby / Reuters | 39% | 53% | Oct. 24-31 | Phone, 600 LV | 4.0 |
RI Colllege | 33% | 43% | Oct. 23-25 | Phone, 408 RV | 4.7 |
Mason-Dixon | 43% | 48% | Oct. 18-21 | Phone, 625 LV | 4.0 |
Rasmussen Reports | 42% | 50% | Oct. 19 | Phone, 500 LV | 4.5 |
Fleming & Associates | 42% | 46% | Oct. 11-14 | Phone, 402 LV | 4.5 |
Rasmussen Reports | 39% | 49% | Oct. 4 | Phone, 500 LV | 4.5 |
| Rhode Island College | 37% | 40% | Oct. 2-4 | Phone, 459 RV | 4.5 |
Zobgy / Reuters | 41% | 45% | Sept. 25-Oct. 2 | Phone, 601 LV | 4.5 |
Gallup | 39% | 50% | Sept. 27-Oct. 1 | Phone, 699 LV | 5.0 |
Mason-Dixon | 41% | 42% | Sept. 25-28 | Phone, 625 LV | 4.0 |
American | 40% | 45% | Sept. 15-19 | Phone, 600 LV | 4.0 |
Brown | 39% | 40% | Sept. 15-17 | Phone, 578 LV | 4.0 |
Rasmussen | 43% | 51% | Sept. 13 | Phone, 500 LV | 4.5 |
LV: Likely voters
RV: Registered voters
Ad: Adults
MofE: Margin of error
Previous polls from this race
