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Nelson is Best-Rated Senator in U.S.
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson holds the highest level of public support among members of the United States Senate, according to a poll by Survey USA. 73 per cent of respondents in the Cornhusker State approve of Nelson's performance.
Maine Republicans Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe are next on the list with 72 per cent, followed by Alaska Democrat Daniel Inouye with 71 per cent, and Illinois Democrat Barack Obama with 70 per cent.
In the U.S., senators are elected to six-year terms in dual-seat constituencies. A third of the country's upper house is renewed every two years. The Republican Party currently has a majority in the Senate, with 55 members in the 100-seat upper house.
Montana Republican Conrad Burns and Pennsylvania Republican Rick Santorum are the lowest-ranked senators with 39 per cent each.
The average approval rating for the Senate as a whole is 52 per cent. American voters will renew the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate on Nov. 7.
Polling Data
Do you approve or disapprove of the performance of your U.S. senator?
State | U.S. Senator | Party | Sr/Jr | Approve | Disapprove |
NE | Nelson, Ben | D | Jr | 73% | 19% |
ME | Collins, Susan | R | Jr | 72% | 23% |
ME | Snowe, Olympia | R | Sr | 72% | 24% |
HI | Inouye, Daniel | D | Sr | 71% | 19% |
IL | Obama, Barack | D | Jr | 70% | 23% |
ND | Conrad, Kent | D | Sr | 67% | 27% |
ND | Dorgan, Byron | D | Jr | 67% | 27% |
VT | Jeffords, James | I | Jr | 67% | 26% |
SD | Johnson, Tim | D | Sr | 67% | 27% |
VT | Leahy, Patrick | D | Sr | 67% | 28% |
RI | Reed, Jack | D | Sr | 67% | 23% |
AK | Stevens, Ted | R | Sr | 65% | 28% |
WV | Byrd, Robert | D | Sr | 64% | 31% |
MS | Lott, Trent | R | Jr | 64% | 31% |
DE | Carper, Thomas | D | Jr | 63% | 27% |
NY | Rodham Clinton, Hillary | D | Jr | 63% | 33% |
WI | Kohl, Herb | D | Sr | 63% | 29% |
WV | Rockefeller, Jay | D | Jr | 63% | 31% |
LA | Vitter, David | R | Jr | 63% | 30% |
SC | Graham, Lindsey | R | Sr | 62% | 27% |
IA | Grassley, Charles | R | Sr | 62% | 30% |
AZ | McCain, John | R | Sr | 62% | 33% |
WY | Enzi, Michael | R | Jr | 61% | 28% |
HI | Akaka, Daniel | D | Jr | 60% | 29% |
ID | Craig, Larry | R | Sr | 60% | 28% |
NM | Domenici, Pete | R | Sr | 60% | 31% |
UT | Hatch, Orrin | R | Sr | 60% | 33% |
NY | Schumer, Charles | D | Sr | 60% | 30% |
MT | Baucus, Max | D | Sr | 59% | 34% |
IN | Bayh, Evan | D | Jr | 59% | 33% |
NM | Bingaman, Jeff | D | Jr | 59% | 29% |
MS | Cochran, Thad | R | Sr | 59% | 33% |
AR | Pryor, Mark | D | Jr | 59% | 28% |
VA | Warner, John | R | Sr | 59% | 29% |
DE | Biden, Joseph | D | Sr | 58% | 35% |
MD | Mikulski, Barbara | D | Jr | 58% | 35% |
AL | Shelby, Richard | R | Sr | 58% | 30% |
WY | Thomas, Craig | R | Sr | 58% | 31% |
SD | Thune, John | R | Jr | 58% | 38% |
ID | Crapo, Michael | R | Jr | 57% | 30% |
TX | Hutchison, Kay | R | Sr | 57% | 31% |
CT | Lieberman, Joseph | D | Jr | 57% | 38% |
IN | Lugar, Richard | R | Sr | 57% | 33% |
UT | Bennett, Robert | R | Jr | 56% | 28% |
CT | Dodd, Christopher | D | Sr | 56% | 33% |
NE | Hagel, Chuck | R | Sr | 56% | 34% |
IA | Harkin, Tom | D | Jr | 56% | 35% |
OR | Wyden, Ron | D | Sr | 56% | 32% |
TN | Alexander, Lamar | R | Jr | 55% | 35% |
CO | Ken Salazar | D | Jr | 55% | 38% |
MA | Kennedy, Edward | D | Sr | 55% | 39% |
AR | Lincoln, Blanche | D | Sr | 55% | 34% |
NH | Gregg, Judd | R | Sr | 54% | 34% |
MA | Kerry, John | D | Jr | 54% | 43% |
AK | Murkowski, Lisa | R | Jr | 54% | 39% |
NV | Reid, Harry | D | Sr | 54% | 40% |
AL | Sessions, Jeff | R | Jr | 54% | 33% |
MO | Bond, Kit | R | Sr | 53% | 39% |
NC | Dole, Elizabeth | R | Sr | 53% | 35% |
WI | Feingold, Russell | D | Jr | 53% | 42% |
KY | McConnell, Mitch | R | Sr | 53% | 36% |
WA | Murray, Patty | D | Sr | 53% | 39% |
OR | Smith, Gordon | R | Jr | 53% | 35% |
RI | Chafee, Lincoln | R | Jr | 52% | 39% |
IL | Durbin, Richard | D | Sr | 52% | 37% |
CA | Feinstein, Dianne | D | Sr | 52% | 36% |
PA | Specter, Arlen | R | Sr | 52% | 42% |
TN | Frist, Bill | R | Sr | 51% | 42% |
LA | Landrieu, Mary | D | Sr | 51% | 45% |
KS | Roberts, Pat | R | Jr | 51% | 36% |
CA | Boxer, Barbara | D | Jr | 50% | 38% |
KS | Brownback, Sam | R | Sr | 50% | 39% |
GA | Chambliss, Saxby | R | Sr | 50% | 33% |
OK | Coburn, Tom | R | Jr | 50% | 37% |
SC | DeMint, Jim | R | Jr | 50% | 36% |
MI | Levin, Carl | D | Sr | 50% | 39% |
VA | Allen, George | R | Jr | 49% | 38% |
MN | Coleman, Norm | R | Jr | 49% | 42% |
NV | Ensign, John | R | Jr | 49% | 36% |
GA | Isakson, Johnny | R | Jr | 49% | 32% |
WA | Cantwell, Maria | D | Jr | 48% | 41% |
OH | DeWine, Mike | R | Sr | 48% | 41% |
FL | Nelson, Bill | D | Sr | 48% | 33% |
NH | Sununu, John | R | Jr | 48% | 40% |
MO | Talent, Jim | R | Jr | 48% | 43% |
OK | Inhofe, James | R | Sr | 47% | 39% |
MD | Sarbanes, Paul | D | Sr | 46% | 39% |
OH | Voinovich, George | R | Jr | 46% | 44% |
MN | Dayton, Mark | D | Sr | 45% | 43% |
AZ | Kyl, Jon | R | Jr | 45% | 42% |
MI | Stabenow, Debbie | D | Jr | 45% | 43% |
CO | Allard, Wayne | R | Sr | 44% | 43% |
KY | Bunning, Jim | R | Jr | 43% | 44% |
NJ | Lautenberg, Frank | D | Sr | 43% | 43% |
FL | Martinez, Mel | R | Jr | 43% | 43% |
NC | Burr, Richard | R | Jr | 42% | 40% |
TX | Cornyn, John | R | Jr | 41% | 38% |
NJ | Menendez, Robert | D | Jr | 40% | 37% |
MT | Burns, Conrad | R | Jr | 39% | 52% |
PA | Santorum, Rick | R | Jr | 39% | 53% |
U.S. Average | 52% | 37% |
Source: SurveyUSA
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 600 adult residents of each of the country's 50 states, conducted from Apr. 7 to Apr. 9, 2006. Margins of error for each state range from 3.8 to 4.1 per cent.