Polls: Dems' lead shrinking, but still strong (but TN & Virginia are.....)

[rodeodance]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-11-05-national-poll_x.htm?csp=1

Polls: Dems' lead shrinking, but still strong
Updated 11/6/2006 12:34 AM ET

By Susan Page, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Democrats, poised to score gains in the U.S. Senate, are struggling to pull ahead in the final seat they need to win control, USA TODAY/Gallup Polls in six key states find.

POLL RESULTS : State elections | Nationwide elections (Clickable)

Democratic challengers are leading Republican incumbents — in some cases narrowly — in Missouri, Montana and Rhode Island, according to the USA TODAY surveys. Other polls show Democratic challengers ahead in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Even if Democrats sweep those five races, however, they would fall one seat short of the six needed for majority status. Two GOP targets, in Tennessee and Virginia, now lead by 3 percentage points among likely voters.

"It says to me the Senate is still very much in play and could go either way," says Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report.

In a separate nationwide USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, taken Thursday through Sunday, Democrats were favored over Republicans for Congress by 51%-44% among likely voters. That edge of 7 percentage points had narrowed from a 13-point margin two weeks ago.

"Republicans are back in the game; they're engaged," says Andy Kohut of the Pew Research Center, which had similar results in a survey released Sunday.