New Polls Show Democrats Storming Back In Alaska and Iowa Senate Races
New polls of Alaska and Iowa reveal that the Democratic candidates in each state are in a position to win two critical Senate races tomorrow.
The DSCC’s Justin Barasky told PoliticusUSA that Democrats feel like they are in position to keep their Senate majority, “Everything we’re seeing shows a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for voting and for voting for Democrats. We’re confident that we are competitive in enough races to hold the majority.”
Democratic confidence should be boosted by two new Senate polls in Iowa and Alaska.
PPP sums up their poll of Alaska, “The Alaska Senate race is even tighter than the one in Colorado, with Dan Sullivan leading Mark Begich just 46/45 with the full field and 47/46 in a head to head contest. Begich leads 50/36 with independents and has 91% of the Democratic vote behind him to just 81% of Republicans who are for Sullivan….Begich has a very strong ground game and it could be enough to put him over the top.”
In Iowa, The Des Moines Register poll that showed Republican Joni Ernst up by seven points is looking like an outlier. A new Quinnipiac poll reveals that Democrat Bruce Braley has erased Joni Ernst’s four point lead over the past week.
Quinnipiac found,
U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley closes the gap with Republican State Sen. Joni Ernst, leaving the Iowa U.S. Senate race a 47 – 47 percent dead heat, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Four percent remain undecided.
This compares to results of an October 29 survey by the independent Quinnipiac University, showing Sen. Ernst at 49 percent and Rep. Braley at 45 percent. Today’s results show independent voters divided 44 – 44 percent. Republicans back Ernst 95 – 2 percent. Democrats back Braley 94 – 5 percent. Men and women still are locked in a reverse gender gap as women back the Democratic man 51 – 42 percent, while men back the Republican woman 52 – 44 percent.
Braley leads 56 – 36 percent among those who already have voted.
Despite the mainstream press’s decision that Republicans have already won, this election remains close. If Democrats win in Iowa and Alaska, the so called Republican wave will be non-existent. If Democrats add a win in Colorado or the Independent wins in Kansas, Republican will have to flip Arkansas and win both likely runoff elections in Louisiana and Georgia to obtain a 51-49 Senate majority. A slim Republican Senate majority will likely be flipped in 2016, when there are at least six endangered Republicans who will be defending their seats in blue states.
The media have a tendency to treat as polls as equal, and call elections over based on suspect polling. The 2014 election is far from over. It’s not over yet. Democrats aren’t done, and in states where the races are tied, the Democratic ground game will be put to the test.
In other words, Republicans and the media could be in for a big surprise if voters do what Democrats are expecting them to do.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
It’s hard to believe voters would vote for someone as wacky as Ernst.
The media is already calling the election as a victory for rethugs and three of their priorities will be repealing health care, ensuring no limits on carbon pollution and no deal for the children of hispanics to stay here!
Ernst would literally make Bachmann looks like Sunday school girl. Ernst is smarter, more vicious, more vindictive, and more dangerous than Minnesotan counterpart.
The only poll that matters is what the voters actually do tomorrow. Just get out and vote and make sure to bring as many other voters with you as possible.
It’s frustrating to hear the media discount the Democrat ground game just because they want a Republican majority in Congress. By virtue of what President Obama and his team showed them in both 2008 and 2012, you’d think the Dems ground game would be more respected than it’s being credited for in this election cycle..
Inspite, all the doom & gloom from msm, here’s some news you don’t hear:
IA (11/3)-Bradley up 21 pts. in early voting: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/03/1341258/-Braley-Pulls-Into-Tie-With-Likely-Voters-Leads-Actual-Voters-By-20
NC: 75,616 were reg. early voter in 2010 didn’t vote at all vs 2014: 54% Dems. vs 20% Repus.; 33% Blacks: https://twitter.com/Taniel/status/529044733490782208
FL: Sunday turnout for Dems thanks to Soul to the Poll; Dems out voted Repubs 52% -27% among 96,142 votes cast (11/2): https://twitter.com/Taniel/status/529291946070913024
Thank you Tani
I understand and agree with your point but in my experiences, Sunday school girls ARE like Ernst.
Smug knowing the Sky Daddy loves them.
Doesn’t enter their minds at all that white privilege, lucky sperm, and public programs like FDIC, SSI, firemen, police, roads, etc. help them as well.
Nope, they’re exceptional proven by their Sky Daddy’s love.
But then vicious when their narcissism is challenged in the slightest way because: Free Market Jesus.
i believe the republicans pay the media to make them look good and the dems look bad. i also do not understand why the presidents approval rating is so low when the economy has improved, stocks are up, gas and unemployment down and everything else the president has accomplished. these polls are ridiculous and made up by the repubicans !!!!!
The Democratic grassroots efforts, and ground game is why the media will have a lot of explaining to do when their polls are proven wrong, and the Dems not only hold the Senate, but gain a couple of seats.
The corporate media is a wholly owned subsidiary of the GOP propaganda machine, and voter suppression effort. GET OUT TO VOTE!!! #gotv
Except that Obama is still Pres for 2 more years, and he’ll veto every RWNJ piece of shi…errr, legislation they send him. Even in the worst case scenarios, the GOP won’t hold a veto proof majority. And remember, tomorrow isn’t the end of civilization as we know it. This is, and has been predictable. We’ve known this was coming for 2 years. The shoe is on the other foot in 2016, with quite a few unpopular GOP senators and congressmen up for re-election. Expect a Blue wave in ’16.
This is the pervasive and corrosive effect of FOX and the Right Wing Spin Machine. The 24/7 assault on the President blinds low info voters (the GOP base) and compels them to think that they are winning, while all the time seeing their quality of life and basic rights eroded.
Here’s a baramoter to watch (unscientific)…If the lines are LONG at the polling places, Democrats are out in force. If the lines are short, Republican hard liners are in them. So, If you see long lines: DEMOCRATS WILL WIN there. If the Lines are Short, the Republican candidate will prevail.
So, hope for long lines!
The Koch Brothers are spending almost $300 Million on this election.
Should we be surprised that even people who should know better are confused by the partisan babble?
What it comes down to is Election day, not polls.
MSNBC is writing obituaries for the Democratic party. A liberal media? I don’t think so.
That is the Koch Brothers biggest fear, is that people will show up to vote. They must be defeated, and their money must be wasted.
I don’t believe these races are “tight” at all. I believe the Democrats are winning, but the Republican controlled media are trying to suppress voter turn out by Democrats to make them feel defeated and not vote.
I want to see Karl Rove squirming in his seat again like he did in 2012!!! Republican math is always wrong. Under estimating the Democrat’s ground game has stumped the media before, and hopefully that will happen again! Now get off your asses tomorrow and vote blue!!!
what rock do you guys live under
Democrats storm back in latest polls? What a silly headline. Ernst has been statistically ahead in 90% of major polls in the last month. It is ridiculous to suggest 12% of the Iowa electorate is “undecided”, which is how these polls achieve their “tie”. The Des Moines Register leaves 4% undecided, which are probably the 4% polled that will not actually vote.
I love your headline writers. STORMING?
By her own doing Ms. Ernst has made her name synomomous with (hog droppings), among other stuff…so wouldn’t it be politically correct to say that she and the GOP are full of (ERNST)…
Joni Ernst = privatizing medicare…ie voucher program, yes capping your benefits…..so don’t get to sick! Who would vote for this? Oh yes the Ryan Budget!
Has evereyone forgot about the republican goverment shut down.
move on gop crook lyer ur not welcomed here
another gop crook lyer piece of crap o yes tea party stands for toilet paper for my rear end, now bugger off idiot gop
Here in Texas, I voted to Retire Cornyn and replace him with David Alameel. I did my part in getting out the vote. Now, it’s your turn.
Go away, chuckie. Trolls prohibited on this liberal blog.
Yeeaah…because pollsters have always been correct. I mean, just look back at all the polls from 2012 that showed that Mittney would win the WH – oh wait!
U.S. Media sure have. Makes you wonder if the Democrats instead of the Republicans had shut down the government and cost the U.S. economy a whopping $25 billion dollars, would U.S. Media go “radio silent” as they did for the GOP?
I ask again…what liberal media bias again?
Thanks for the info Tani- my hopes are up.
Took 6 folks to register for first time & vote yesterday. Repubs have never early voted before this election in such large numbers. They are the tea party who have normally voted on election day. We will squeak this out. Jan2014 Ernst said she would impeach the president and Fox Fools yesterday are saying that is how the repubs taking the senate will turn out.
If the people of Iowa votes ERNST in, and get nothing in return for it—-they deserve the big fat zero they will get. Plus the embarrasment of having a Representative like Ernst mucking up the works in D.C. WHO are these people who love misery so much that they are willing to put up with this woman giving them nothing! She talks a good BS, I guess and the yahoos fall for it.