Poll: Big Opening For Dems In Alaska

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http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/jun/20/poll_big_opening_for_dems_in_alaska

Poll: Big Opening For Dems In Alaska
By Eric Kleefeld | bio

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.

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.

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