Poll Tracker

• Oregon: Seeking his third term, Smith is leading his Democratic opponent, state House Speaker Jeff Merkley, 47 percent to 38 percent in a Rasmussen Reports survey conducted June 11, but the pollster notes that this is the fourth straight month Smith has been under 50 percent. Eight percent preferred "other" and 7 percent were undecided. The margin of error is 4.5 percent. Smith is viewed favorably by 58 percent of voters and Merkley by 42 percent. CQ Politics rates this race "Leans Republican." For more background on the race, see our story "Parties Debate Smith's Independence on the Campaign Trail."

• Michigan: Five-term Democrat Carl Levin leads Republican state Rep. Jack Hoogendyk 54 percent to 37 percent with 2 percent preferring "other" and 7 percent undecided in a Rasmussen Reports poll released June 13. That's about the same margin Levin enjoyed last month. Levin is viewed favorably by 58 percent of voters and Hoogendyk by 39 percent. CQ Politics rates this race "Safe Democrat."

• Iowa: Democrat Tom Harkin, looking for a 5th term, leads businessman Christopher Reed 53 percent to 37 percent with 3 percent preferring "other" and 7 percent undecided in a Rasmussen reports poll conducted June 10. The margin of error is 4.5 percent. Harkin is viewed favorably by 59 percent of voters compared to 43 percent for the lesser known Reed about whom 32 percent were "not sure." CQ Politics rates this race "Safe Democrat."

Be sure to read our Election 2008 overview of the battle for the Senate. Also, check out our Senate "Races to Watch" chart.

Previously reported:

• New Jersey: In contrast to a Rasmussen Reports poll yesterday that showed a tight race, a Quinnipiac University survey conducted June 5-8 has Democrat Frank Lautenberg ahead of former Republic Rep. Dick Zimmer by 47 percent to 38 percent. The margin of error is 2.6 percent. Lautenberg's favorability rating is 46 percent positive to 35 percent negative which Quinnipiac says is his highest disapproval rating in 12 years of surveys. A problem Zimmer faces is that 67 percent of voters don't know enough about him to have a favorable or unfavorable opinion. New Jerseyans say 54 percent to 41 percent that the 84 year old Lautenberg is too old to effectively serve another full term, and even Democrats are pretty evenly divided on that. The Rasmussen poll conducted June 4 had Lautenberg 45 percent to 44 percent over Zimmer. But Rasmussen noted that in New Jersey, where a Republican has not won statewide office since 1997, the races usually start tight and then the Democrat pulls away closer to election day. CQ Politics rates this race "Democrat Favored."

• Georgia: First term Republican Saxby Chambliss holds big leads over any of the three Democrats seeking to challenge him. He leads Dale Cardwell, a former investigative reporter, by 52 percent to 37 percent; DeKalb County chief executive officer Vernon Jones by 56 percent to 33 percent and Atlanta attorney and former legislator Jim Martin by 52 percent to 36 percent. CQ Politics rates this race Republican Favored.

• Texas: Republican John Cornyn, seeking a second term, leads Democratic State Rep. Rick Noriega 52 percent to 35 percent with 6 percent preferring "other" and 7 percent undecided, according to a Rasmussen Report survey conducted June 2. The margin of error is 4.5 percent. Fifty-six percent of voters have a favorable view of Cornyn compared to 31 percent who do not, while Noriega is viewed favorably by 43 percent and negatively by 39 percent. Cornyn has solid support bin his own party (86 percent) and a 2-to-1 lead among unaffiliated voters. Noriega's support in his party is 72 percent. CQ Politics is rating this race "Republican Favored."

• Alaska: As he begins to generate name recognition throughout the state, Democrat Mark Begich , the mayor of Anchorage, is leading Republican incumbent Ted Stevens 51 percent to 44 percent, with a margin of error of 5 points, according to a Hellenthall and Associates survey conducted May 6-10 and reported today in the Fairbanks Newsminer. A Rasmussen Reports survey conducted May 14 had shown Stevens trailing Democrat Begich by 2 points, with the Anchorage mayor leading the 6-term senator 47 percent to 45 percent. The margin of error in that poll was 4.5 percent. Begich was viewed favorably by 58 percent in the Dittman poll compared to 16 percent who had a negative opinion. Elevn percent did not know him. Stevens' favorability rating was 49 percent against 40 percent, and all respondents knew the six term incumbent. Although we're talking Senate here, Alaska's other longtime incumbent, 17-term Rep. Don Young, would run way behind Alaska House Minority Leader Ethan Berkowitz if Berkowitz gets his party's nomination. Berkowitz leads 58 percent to 38 percent.

• North Carolina: Sen. Elizabeth Dole is leading Democratic challenger Kay Hagan 47 percent to 39 percent with 14 percent undecided, in a Public Policy Polling survey conducted May 28-29. the margin of error is 4.2 percent. That represents some more breathing room for Dole who had a 5 point lead in a May 8-9 survey by PPP. Both candidates run evenly among women but Dole has a 15 point advantage among men. Dole also has significantly more commitment from fellow Republicans. Eight-five percent of them back her, while only 61 percent commit to Hagan with 17 percent undecided. A Rasmussen Reports poll conducted May 8 showed Hagan ahead of Dole, although by a statistically insignificant 48 percent to 47 percent. A month earlier, Dole had a 13 point lead in this poll. Hagan scored a runaway victory in the state's May 6 primary for the right to challenge Dole, and PPP says the visibility she built up during that campaign may have helped. Now it remains to be seen if she can keep momentum and raise the $10 million she says she needs to compete with Dole. As of now, CQ Politics rates the race as "Republican favored."

• Louisiana: Two-term Democrat Mary Landrieu leads Republican challenger John Kennedy by only 47 percent to 44 percent with 2 percent preferring "other" and 6 percent undecided, according to a Rasmussen Reports survey conducted May 27. That's a statistical tie given the poll's 4.5 percent margin of error. Landrieu gets a favorable rating from 59 percent of voters compared to 37 percent who hold the opposite view but Kennedy's favorables are 57 percent with 31 percent viewing him negatively. CQ Politics currently rates the race "Leans Democratic."

• Mississippi: One Republican is safe and the other may be sorry. Thad Cochran, seeking a sixth term, is way out in front, but Roger Wicker, appointed to fill out the term of retired Sen. Trent Lott, faces a tough race to keep his seat. Cochran leads former state legislator Erik Fleming 58 percent to 35 percent in a poll conducted May 27. Fleming lost to Lott in 2006 by 64 percent to 35 percent. However, Wicker is in a dead heat with former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove. Musgrove leads 47 percent to 46 percent with 2 percent professing other and 5 percent undecided. The margin of error is 4.5 percent in this poll, also conducted by Rasmussen on May 27.

• Alabama:Two-term Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions leads Democrat Vivian Davis Figures by 62 percent to 29 percent in a Rasmussen Reports survey conducted May 27. That's a 12 point jump over his lead last month. Sessions is viewed favorably by 72 percent of voters compared to 19 percent who see him in a negative light, while Figures has a 33 percent positive rating compared to 42 percent who see her unfavorably.

• Montana: Five term Democrat Baucus has a 65 percent to 26 percent lead over GOP State Sen. Michael Lange, the nearest of the Republican contenders hoping to oppose him in November . The next in line among the five Republicans vying for their party's nomination, Kirk Bushman, is on the short end of a 61 percent to 26 percent stick. The poll was conducted May 19-21 and if you have to know, the margin of error was 4 percent.

• Kentucky: Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford, a Louisville businessman, is leading incumbent Sen. Mitch McConnell, he Senate GOP leader, by 49 percent to 44 percent with 4 percent preferring "other" and 4 percent undecided, in a May 22 Rasmussen Reports Survey. McConnell is viewed favorably by 52 percent of voters compared to 42 percent who see him negatively, while Lunsford is viewed positively by 47 percent of voters compared to 42 percent. The margin of error is 4.5 percent. Rasmussen said just 67 percent of John McCain supporters said they would also vote for McConnell, while 28 percent will defect to Lunsford.

• New Hampshire: Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, the former governor, leads Republican incumbent John Sununu 50 percent to 43 percent with 2 percent preferring "other" and 4 percent undecided, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted May 21. The margin of error is 4.5 percent. Fifty-eight percent regard Shaheen favorably compared to 40 percent who do not, while 49 percent view Sununu positively compared to 47 percent .

• Colorado: Democrat Mark Udall is leading Republican Bob Schaffer 47 percent to 41 percent in the race to claim the seat of GOP incumbent Wayne Allard, in a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted May 19. Nine percent are undecided and the margin of error is 4.5 percent. Udall is regarded favorably by 50 percent of voters and unfavorably by 35 percent, compared to a 44 percent favorability rating for Schaffer and a 39 percent unfavorable score.

• Maine: Republican Sen. Susan Collins still has a 52 percent to 42 percent lead over Democratic challenger Tom Allen, although that is down from the 16 point advantage she had a month ago, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted May 14. The margin of error is 4.5 percent. Collins is viewed favorably by 70 percent of voters compared to 29 percent with a negative view, and Allen is viewed favorably by 58 percent compared to 35 percent. Collins has the backing of 74 percent of conservatives, 55 percent of moderates and 27 percent of liberals. Allen draws on the support of 71 percent of liberal voters, 36 percent of moderates and 20 percent of conservatives.

• Kansas: Two-term Republican Sen. Pat Roberts has a 52 percent to 40 percent lead over his Democratic challenger, Rep. Jim Slattery in a May 13 survey by Rasmussen Reports. Roberts had looked like a runaway favorite for re-election as Democrats scrambled to find a credible challenger, but they appear to have had at least some success by Slattery's decision to get into the race. Roberts is viewed favorably by 60 percent of voters compared to 34 percent who have negative views, while Slattery's numbers are 46 percent favorable to 38 percent unfavorable with 17 percent not sure. Both are tied at 46 percent for the support of moderate voters. Note to readers: an earlier version of this item incorrectly said Roberts' lead was 50 percent to 42 percent.

• New Mexico: If the sentiment of New Mexico voters today holds up until November, the Democratic party may pick up another Senate seat. In a SurveyUSA poll of likely New Mexican voters, Democrat Tom Udall would easily defeat either Republican running for the seat, Heather Wilson (61-35 percent) or Steven Pearce (60-36 percent). The margin of error was +/- 2.3 percent. Wilson and Pearce are in a tight race for the Republican nomination, which is currently held by retiring Sen. Pete V. Domenici. The poll shows them almost tied, with Pearce having the slight edge over Wilson (49-46 percent). The primary is June 3. The margin of error on the Republican-only poll was +/- 4.8 percent. The poll was conducted May 12-14.

• Texas: Republican John Cornyn, seeking a second term, leads Democratic State Rep. Rick Noriega 52 percent to 35 percent with 6 percent preferring "other" and 7 percent undecided, according to a Rasmussen Report survey conducted June 2. The margin of error is 4.5 percent. Fifty-six percent of voters have a favorable view of Cornyn compared to 31 percent who do not, while Noriega is viewed favorably by 43 percent and negatively by 39 percent. Cornyn has solid support bin his own party (86 percent) and a 2-to-1 lead among unaffiliated voters. Noriega's support in his party is 72 percent. CQ Politics is rating this race "Republican Favored."