A new NBP/NPN poll of South Dakota’s 4-way contest for U.S. Senate shows Republican Mike Rounds in a commanding lead with 39% of the vote. He’s followed by Democrat Rick Weiland at 26% and independent Larry Pressler at 24%. Former conservative legislator Gordon Howie, also running as an independent, captures 4% in the survey.
Pressler, a former Republican U.S. Senator, has been gaining in polls over the last few months and seems to have the most momentum of all the candidates. The surging independent is campaigning on a promise to serve only one term in office, arguing that he will devote all 6 years to the job and not to running for re-election. As a former 3-term U.S. Senator, Pressler would go to Washington retaining that seniority. An edge that would translate into more meaningful committee assignments than whatever the freshman Rounds or Weiland would be awarded.
Even more interesting, the polling suggests that if Weiland dropped out of the race, Pressler and Rounds would be in a virtual tie for first place. However, if Pressler dropped out, Rounds would lead Weiland 45% to 37%.
Might the national Democratic Party begin to apply pressure to get Rick Weiland to step aside, in the hopes that Pressler would be a more agreeable alternative? After all, it worked in Kansas where independent Greg Orman now leads Republican Senator Pat Roberts by several points. Further complicating the issue, with only 37 days left until the election there would not be time for either man to remove their names from the ballot.
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