The Hawaii Senate race is increasingly competitive, with former Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle (R) narrowing the gap to both of her Democratic opponents, according to a poll released Wednesday by Public Policy Polling.
The Republican Lingle trails Rep. Mazie Hirono by 46 percent to 42 percent and leads former Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii) by 45 percent to 43 perecnt.
According to the poll, Lingle’s approval numbers have climbed since she left office. According to the poll, a majority of Hawaii voters have positive views of her, marking a ten-point improvement fromg seven months ago.
The three are running to replace retiring Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii). The seat is widely seen as a ‘must-win’ for Democrats if they hope to retain control of the Senate. Republicans need just four seats to retake control of the Senate.
Among Democratic primary voters, Hirono leads Case by 45 percent to 40 percent. Case, a centrist who was part of the fiscally centrist Blue Dog Coalition while in Congress, and has weak support from the state’s liberal voters. Case also upset many in the state’s Democratic establishment when he ran against Akaka in a 2006 primary.
The poll of 568 voters including 368 Democrats was conducted from Oct. 13-16, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percent and 5.1 percent in the Democratic primary portion.
