Home

Election 2008

Charley Shaw, Staff Writer, Saint Paul Legal Ledger Capitol Report's picture

Poll says national political trends bode well for state House DFLers

Posted 6:12 pm, November 3rd, 2008 by Charley Shaw, Staff Writer, Saint Paul Legal Ledger Capitol Report

A Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs/Minnesota Public Radio poll over the weekend found that state Democrats have increased their edge over Republicans as they try to expand their majority in the state House of Representatives in Tuesday’s election.

Forty-nine percent of likely voters in Minnesota told the survey they prefer Democratic candidates in state legislative races. Thirty-three percent surveyed said they prefer Republicans.

The 16-point lead for DFLers is a “slight increase” from their 11-point lead on Oct. 4, according to the poll’s findings.

The poll doesn’t predict how particular districts will be decided. But Lawrence Jacobs, director of the Humphrey’s Center for the Study of Politics and Governance, said the results indicate that broad, unrelated events like President Bush’s approval ratings and the economic downturn are hurting Republicans’ chances in down-ballot contests.