New poll has Lowden in lead

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Former Nevada Republican chairwoman Sue Lowden has a large lead in the GOP race to challenge U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, according to a new poll.

The poll in Sunday's Las Vegas Review-Journal shows Lowden with support from 45 percent of likely primary voters surveyed. Las Vegas businessman Danny Tarkanian had 27 percent. Lowden also led Tarkanian by 18 points in a February poll.

The GOP primary numbers were was based on 300 Republicans surveyed, with a 6 percentage point margin of error in the poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research.

The group also questioned 625 registered voters, who said they vote regularly in state elections, and found Reid's popularity still slipping.

The statewide telephone poll found 56 percent of registered Nevada voters have an unfavorable opinion of the Senate Majority Leader and only about four in 10 people would vote for him. That poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Reid began his re-election campaign last week, and analysts say he has plenty of time to make up ground before the election.

Reid's campaign also contends the Mason-Dixon poll isn't an accurate measure because it doesn't include the full general election slate of candidates that will be on the ballot - including several nonpartisan candidates and one each from the Independent American Party and the Tea Party of Nevada.

"I think we're going to see some differences once we are up against a single Republican opponent," said Jon Summers, a Reid spokesman. "We're prepared to run a race against any of those Republican candidates that could emerge."

Brad Coker of Mason-Dixon Polling & Research said Reid's campaign shouldn't count on third party candidates drawing away votes from whoever his Republican opponent will be.

"Everybody knows who Reid is, and voters don't have a good opinion of him," Coker said.