Poll: Nevada voters unhappy with Reid

Half of Nevada voters view Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) unfavorably, according to a new poll, but he’s still without a serious challenger.

The poll, conducted for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, also showed just 38 percent see him in a positive light. A full 45 percent say they will definitely vote to replace Reid, with just a third saying they will vote to reelect him. Seventeen percent will consider another candidate.

{mosads}Still, Reid has avoided a major challenger so far. He helped Democrats defeat ex-Rep. Jon Porter (R) and state Sen. Joe Heck (R) in 2008, two candidates widely rumored to be mulling a challenge to his seat. Reid’s only potential opponent, Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki (R), was indicted soon after he announced his bid.

Republicans are pressuring Rep. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) to join the race. The state’s lone Republican member of the House is viewed positively by three in 10 Silver State voters, with just half that number viewing him unfavorably.

But Reid is not taking his reelection for granted. The majority leader already has more than $5 million cash on hand through the end of the first quarter, and he’s begun to form a top-notch campaign team. Reid’s race will be managed by Brandon Hall, a Democratic operative who guided Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) to a win in 2008.

President Obama, who will hold a fundraiser for Reid in Las Vegas next week, is popular in Nevada. A full 55 percent view Obama favorably, with just 30 percent of voters seeing him unfavorably.

The May 26 fundraiser, slated for Caesar’s Palace in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip, will feature entertainers like Bette Midler, Sheryl Crow and others.

The poll, conducted by independent pollster Mason-Dixon Research, surveyed 625 regular voters for a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.