Election 2008: Minnesota Senate

Minnesota Senate: Coleman Falls Behind Franken, Holds Modest Lead Over Ciresi
Tuesday, February 19, 2008

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey found Al Franken slightly ahead of incumbent Senator Norm Coleman in what is likely to be a closely contested campaign. Franken, a former comedian and political commentator, leads Coleman 49% to 46%. If the Democrats nominate trial attorney Mike Ciresi, the poll shows Coleman attracting 47% of the vote while Ciresi earns 45%.

These results show a significant improvement for Franken since an early November poll found him trailing by seven-points. That same survey found Coleman with a three point lead over Ciresi.

Coleman has long been considered one of the more vulnerable incumbent senators up for re-election in 2008. Any incumbent who polls below 50% is considered potentially vulnerable and that is especially true for an incumbent who trails a challenger early in the campaign.

Against Franken, Coleman earns support from 82% of conservative voters while Franken draws support from 88% of liberal voters. Over half (58%) of moderate voters choose Franken, while 37% choose Coleman.

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