There are warning signs on the horizon for two Republican senators up for re-election in 2010 - first-termer Richard Burr of North Carolina and two-termer George Voinovich of Ohio, according to polls looking ahead to the next election cycle.

n North Carolina, a Public Policy Polling survey conducted Dec. 8-9 said that Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper leads Burr in a hypothetical match-up by 39 percent to 34 percent with 26 percent undecided. The margin of error is 3.9 percent. Thirty-two percent of voters approve of the job Burr is doing, 31 percent do not and 37 percent say they are not sure. Burr's approval to disapproval ratio is 44 percent to 23 percent with 34 percent not sure. PPP notes that Burr leads Cooper among white voters by just six points when a Republican usually needs about a 20 point cushion to win in the state.