Washington Senate Race Tied Between Pro-Life Dino Rossi, Pro-Abortion Murrary
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 30, 2010
Olympia, WA (LifeNews.com) — The competitive Senate race between pro-life Senate candidate Dino Rossi and pro-abortion Sen. Patty Murrary is tied. The race is one of several pitting candidates on the opposite side of the abortion debate against each other in what is shaping up as a battle for control of the Senate.
The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of likely voters shows Rossi picking up 48% support, while Murray earns 47% of the vote when leaners are included.
Two percent prefer another candidate while three percent are undecided on the race.
"Two weeks ago, Murray moved to a modest 51% to 46% lead over Rossi when leaners were part of the totals. In 10 previous surveys from January through August, the candidates have been within two points of each other seven times. Murray’s support has ranged from 45% to 50%, while Rossi has picked up 46% to 49% of the vote," the polling firm noted.
The Rasmussen poll comes after one from Fox News that has the two candidates well within the margin of error, with Murray leading Rossi by one percent.
The attitude of voters in the West Coast state towards pro-abortion President Barack Obama may have something to do with the closeness of the race.
"Washingtonians went for President Obama in a big way in 2008, giving him 57 percent of their votes. But the battleground poll shows Obama lagging on job approval. Only 44 percent approved of his job performance and 49 percent disapproved," Fox News indicated.
Murray has served in the Senate since 1993 and Rossi was a two-time unsuccessful candidate for governor and they couldn’t be further apart on the issue of abortion.
Murrary has a clear pro-abortion record, according to the National Right to Life Committee. She receives a 0% pro-life rating by virtue of her voting for the pro-abortion health care bill, to require taxpayers to fund abortions in various instances, and against health care for unborn children.
Rossi is expected to get the support of pro-life advocates, according to Joe Fuiten, the former president of Washington Evangelicals for Responsible Government.
"Dino Rossi was always to be counted on in the pro-life concerns," he said of his time in the state legislature. "Dino Rossi is a friend to us in the pro-life community."
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