Poll: Big Opening For Dems In Alaska
National Democratic strategists are eyeing Alaska as a state ripe for a major pickup in 2008 — and a new poll of the state's voters suggests that Dems have some reason to be optimistic about making a big gain there.
National Dems have been working overtime to recruit Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich to run for Congress in 2008 — either against powerhouse Senator Ted Stevens or against Representative Don Young. While snatching Stevens' Senate seat obviously would be a bigger coup, knocking off Young would be a more than decent prize, too.
Now a new poll suggests that both GOP targets may be a good deal more vulnerable than initially thought.
Details after the jump.
The new survey, from the Alaska firm Hays Research, finds that Stevens, who at nearly 40 years of Senate service is a veritable state institution, has slipped below the 50% approval rating mark into the danger zone. He has a 46%-36% approval, lowered in large part because of an ethics investigation against himself plus another targeting his son Ben, a state Senator.
Young, for his part, is not faring much better. Young has a statistically even rating, at 40% positive to 41% negative.
Meanwhile, the poll finds that Begich has an overall positive rating of 47% statewide, compared to only 18% overall negative — promising numbers for a potential challenger.
Another reason for optimism about Begich: While Alaska is a heavily Republican state, the Anchorage Mayoralty makes a good launching pad for a Democrat, as the city's total metro area contains over half the state's population.
Begich's candidacy would undoubtedly be helped by his deep roots in the state — and by Alaskans' memories of his father. Begich is the son of the late Congressman Nick Begich, who served for one term before his death in a 1972 plane crash.
Promising. I hope they go all-out against Stevens. They could raise a lot of money from techy types enraged over this mendacious fool's ongoing campaign against open technology and communications.
June 20, 2007 3:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
I seem to remember that when the DLC types were mocking Dean's 50 State Strategy, their ultimate dig was that he was spending money in Alaska. Time for then to eat more crow?
June 20, 2007 3:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
On April 23, I wrote a note about Don Young in which I said, “The Jack Abramoff/Tom Delay scandal relating to the Northern Mariana Islands has Don Young’s fingerprints all over it,” and then I went to sleep.
The next morning, I woke to learn that “one of Young’s aides will be pleading guilty to Abramoff related corruption charges,” and I duly reported it in a note called Who knew? giving credit to the Anchorage Daily News.
On April 29th, the Anchorage Daily News took up the challenge of linking Young to the Abramoff/Saipan scandal.
Please visit the Schapira blog, What we know so far ...
...and tell 'em Big Mitch sent ya!
June 20, 2007 3:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
By the way, Alaska is not "heavily Republican." Democrats outnumber Republicans, and Independents outnumber both.
Please visit the Schapira blog, What we know so far ...
...and tell 'em Big Mitch sent ya!
June 20, 2007 3:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
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From the "Land of the Midnight Sun" -- ADN reporter Kyle Hopkins has gotten the word out to the readers in Alaska that TPM is looking for info on the Stevens investigation . . .
~OGD~
June 20, 2007 7:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Look out, here comes Alaskans For Lieberman!
June 21, 2007 8:41 AM | Reply | Permalink