Reid May Be Vulnerable to 2010 Challenge

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) may be vulnerable to a reelection challenge in 2010, a new, independent poll showed Wednesday.

A Research 2000 poll showed Reid ahead of outgoing Rep. Jon Porter (R-Nev.) but under the key 50 percent threshold for incumbents in a hypothetical 2010 matchup.

46 percent of voters preferred Reid in a matchup against Porter, who drew 40 percent in the poll. The survey, conducted November 23-25, has a four percent margin of error.

Among the bad news for Reid, 54 percent of Nevadans said they disapproved of Reid’s job performance, while 38 percent said they approved. 19 percent of Nevada Democrats said they would vote to replace Reid, while 31 percent of them said they would consider voting for someone else.

A challenge to Reid would follow a recent trend of Republicans and Democrats actively targeting each other’s Senate leaders in reelection. Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) was unseated by John Thune in 2004, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) nearly suffered defeat earlier this month.

Porter, a rumored candidate to Senate, was defeated by Democrat Dina Titus earlier this month in Nevada’s 3rd congressional district.

–Michael O’Brien