Posted on 05/24/2003 1:30:32 PM PDT by Pubbie
2004 SENATE RACE: Reid downplays results of GOP survey
Poll suggests Democrat would be in dogfight with Gibbons
WASHINGTON -- A Republican poll shows Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., leading Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., 48 percent to 40 percent, in a potential matchup of the 2004 Senate race in Nevada.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee requested the poll, a telephone survey of 500 registered voters in Nevada, during the last three days of January, said Dan Allen, the committee's communications director.
Allen said the poll's margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.
The poll was conducted by Moore Information Inc., a public opinion research firm with offices in Portland, Ore., and Washington, D.C.
"The fact is this shows Gibbons is very strong and has a lot of upside considering he only represents one-third of the state and already is getting 40 percent of the vote," Allen said. "You can see Reid is in real trouble especially as a three-term incumbent who can't break 50 (percent)."
Reid, 63, dismissed the poll as a GOP tactic to persuade Gibbons to enter the race.
"The Republicans jigger the questions to come out like they want, just like the Democrats have done in the past," Reid said. "Jim Gibbons is a fine congressman and would be a worthy opponent. I can't say anything bad about him. But what this is all about is putting pressure on Gibbons to run against me."
Reid also said the Republican poll deliberately kept his rating below 50 percent. "They know I'm above 50 percent and about 12 to 15 points ahead," Reid said.
Gibbons, 58, was unavailable for comment Thursday. Gibbons' spokeswoman Amy Spanbauer said the congressman was preparing to address the Nevada Legislature.
"We are aware the NRSC has conducted some polling in Nevada and it is favorable to Congressman Gibbons, but we don't have specific information on the data," Spanbauer said.
Now in his fourth term in the House, Gibbons has said he plans to decide by the end of this summer whether he will challenge Reid next year.
Stuart Rothenberg, a Washington, D.C., political analyst, said the Republican committee's poll numbers "seem about right."
"Reid gets between 48 and 51 percent of the vote (in his elections) and the Republican base in the state is quite good," Rothenberg said. "What this suggests to me is that if Gibbons runs, it will be a very competitive race. The question is if Gibbons doesn't run -- I don't have six or eight candidates on my list of top tier challengers."
Allen declined to comment when asked if the poll pitted Reid against Republican candidates other than Gibbons.
Reid is likely to be among the top targets of Republicans in 2004, Rothenberg said.
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