New Hampshire’s U.S. Senate race is a virtual dead heat, as incumbent Democrat Jeanne Shaheen is being hurt badly by President Barack Obama’s sagging approval numbers.
Most voters have yet to make up their minds, according to a new WMUR Granite State poll. Only 27 percent say they’ve definitely decided who to back. Republicans are eyeing a big pickup here, as Shaheen is likely to be challenged by Scott Brown, who had been a U.S. senator from Massachusetts. Nominees will be chosen in a Sept. 9 primary.
If the election were held today, 46 percent of likely voters said they’d back Shaheen, while 44 percent would support Brown.
“Shaheen has long been popular in New Hampshire, and she has led Brown throughout the spring and summer, but her campaign is being weighed down by national politics, particularly the declining popularity of President Obama,” said a University of New Hampshire Survey Center analysis.
Thirty-seven percent approve of the job Obama is doing as president. But 59 percent disapprove, and Brown leads 71 to 17 percent with this group.