Weekly Senate Polls- Week II

Democrats' prospects on the west coast seem to be improving while they continue to make minimal progress in the interior and rust belt regions.
The 'West Coast Bloc" consists of 4 states where Democrats are favored to win. Ron Wyden of OR is expected to win in a landslide and leads Jim Huffman (R) by 15+ points. In CA, Barbara Boxer continues to lead her GOP opponent, failed HP CEO, Carly Fiorina. In one of the most high-profile races of this year, Majority Leader Reid is gradually pulling away from his Tea Party- backed challenger, Sharron Angle, perhaps the most radical candidate of this cycle. Finally, in WA Patty Murray (D) is in a ostensibly close race with perennial Republican Dino Rossi; Murray has been up by slight margins, but funding and the general lean of WA has made me put WA in the Slight Democrat category.

Good news for Dems came with a new PPP poll in NC. Incumbent Republican Richard Burr leads Democratic NC Sec. of State Elaine Marshall 39-37. More surprisingly, Burr's approval is at a record low and his support for reelection has fallen under the 40% mark. Burr is the most vulnerable GOP incumbent this year.

Changes from Week I:
[WA] Tossup-> Slight D
[IA] Lean R -> Safe R
[KY] Tossup -> Slight R
[NC] Lean R -> Slight R
[CT] Safe D -> Lean D