Nevada Governor: Rory Reid Now Trails Two GOP Hopefuls

Election 2010: Nevada Governor

Nevada Governor: Rory Reid Now Trails Two GOP Hopefuls

Sunday, March 07, 2010

Republican frontrunner Brain Sandoval now has an 18-point lead over Democrat Rory Reid in Nevada’s gubernatorial race.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Nevada voters finds Reid, son of Senator Harry Reid, trailing Sandoval 53% to 35%. Seven percent (7%) prefer another candidate, while five percent (5%) are undecided.

Sandoval, a former Nevada attorney general and ex-U.S. District Court Judge, led Reid by 12 points - 45% to 33% - in Rasmussen Reports’ first look at the contest early last month.

Another GOP hopeful, North Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montandon, posts a 42% to 37% lead over Reid. In the previous survey, Reid led Montandon 40% to 36%. Thirteen percent (13%) like some other candidate, and eight percent (8%) are undecided.

But Reid still leads the state's unpopular incumbent Republican Governor Jim Gibbons, 44% to 36%, marking virtually no change from a month ago. Fifteen percent (15%) opt for someone else. Only four percent (4%) are undecided.

Reid’s father continues to face a difficult Senate reelection this year, due largely to his parties championing of an unpopular health care bill and a weakening state economy. Two of his Republican challengers have again crossed the 50% threshold and now hold double-digit leads in Nevada’s U.S. Senate race.

Nevada Republicans will pick their Senate and gubernatorial nominees in a June 8 primary.

Male voters prefer all three Republicans over Reid but by just three points when Gibbons is the candidate. Sandoval leads among female voters, too, but Reid has the edge among women over Gibbons and Montandon.

Among voters not affiliated with either major party in the state, Reid trails Sandoval but leads both Gibbons and Montandon.

Thirty-seven percent (37%) of all voters in Nevada at least somewhat approve of the job Gibbons has been doing as governor, including just nine percent (9%) who strongly approve. That’s down slightly from February and December.

Sixty-one percent (61%) disapprove of the governor’s performance, including 37% who strongly disapprove.

Just 12% of Nevada voters share a very favorable opinion of their governor, while 36% view him very unfavorably.

Sandoval earns very favorable views from 17% and very unfavorable marks from 10%.

Reid, chairman of the influential Clark County Board of Commissioners, is viewed very favorably by 15%, but 34% view him very unfavorably.

Only five percent (5%) share a very favorable opinion of Montandon and eight percent (8%) view him very unfavorably. Montandon is by far the least known of the four candidates.

At this point in a campaign, Rasmussen Reports considers the number of people with a strong opinion more significant than the total favorable/unfavorable numbers.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_ ... a_governor