How Republican is Alaska? So Republican that ex-Republican Lisa Murkowski is polling higher as a write-in than the Democratic nominee in the state’s Senate race. In the latest Rasmussen poll, GOP nominee Joe Miller has a commanding 42% lead, followed by Murkowski with 27%, and Democrat Scott McAdams with 25%. Because Murkowski is a write-in candidate, pollsters didn’t mention her name when asking the question, but did mention her on the list of possible responses.
All three candidates are essentially even with independents, but most Republicans picked Miller and most Democrats picked McAdams. Among Miller’s supporters, 79% say they won’t change their mind; 71% said the same of Murkowski, compared to 66% of McAdams voters. But Rasmussen warns that the poll “should be interpreted with caution,” because despite their best efforts, polling about write-in campaigns is “always challenging.” For more on Miller and Murkowski's battle, including her staff's spelling trouble, click here. (More Joe Miller stories.)