Thread: MS:Wicker Jumps to 11-Pt. Lead

Wicker Jumps to 11-Point Lead in Mississippi

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Republican Roger Wicker, appointed to the Senate last year when Trent Lott resigned, has opened an 11-point lead over Democratic challenger Ronnie Musgrove in Mississippi.

The latest Rasmussen Reports poll of the state finds Wicker leading his opponent 54% to 43% in the state's special Senate race.

At the end of September, Wicker slipped to a two-point advantage over Musgrove. The race was also tight in May and June, but Wicker had begun pulling away over the summer. In August he led 47% to 42%.

Mississippi is in the unusual position of having two U.S. Senate races this year due to Lott’s retirement. In December, Governor Haley Barbour named Wicker to Lott’s seat until a special election could be held. In the other Mississippi Senate race, longtime Republican incumbent Thad Cochran enjoys a sizable lead.

Wicker has opened a huge 66% to 19% lead among unaffiliated voters in Mississippi, compared to the 52% to 40% lead he held in September. While the Republican still holds a double-digit lead among men in the state, women have shifted from supporting Musgrove to Wicker's column. Last month, women supported the challenger 54% to 42%; the latest poll show women favoring Wicker 50% to 47%. White voters support Wicker by a 78% to 18% margin, while black voters favor Musgrove, 87% to 12%.

Wicker, a congressman for 12 years, is viewed favorably by 59% of the state’s voters, unfavorably by 36%. Musgrove, a former governor, has 47% favorables and 50% unfavorables. While Wicker’s ratings are identical to the last poll’s, Musgrove’s have grown slightly more negative.

Rasmussen Markets data gives Wicker a 75.0% chance of reelection in November.

Though it now looks like Wicker may be safer in keeping his job next week, many other Republican seats are in danger, including ones in Alaska, New Hampshire, Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado, Georgia, Mississippi, Minnesota, North Carolina and Virginia.

Rasmussen also released the latest numbers on the presidential race in Mississippi, which found John McCain leading Barack Obama by eight percentage points.

From http://www.rasmussenreports.com/ (slightly edited for brevity)

Senator Wicker voted against the Senate bill which would have granted amnesty to illegal aliens, and is a founding member of the "Senate Border Security Caucus".

Just so you know Wicker's Immigration Grade is A- and recently B+. This is good news.