Liddy Dole in Trouble

by Kevin Van Dyke, Editor
September 22, 2008

Two straight polls in the last two days by Public Policy Polling and Rasmussen Reports have found Senator Elizabeth Dole trailing challenger Kay Hagan by five and six points, respectively.

We rated this North Carolina Senate race as “Lean Republican” in our last Senate forecast, but it now looks like a true tossup. If Liddy Dole goes down, look for the Democrats to have at least 57 or 58 seats (including Lieberman) come January. This would virtually guarantee 60 votes on most social issues with Lieberman and socially liberal Republicans Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, and Arlen Specter joining the Democrats in procedural votes.