Pomeroy Trails GOP Challenger in North Dakota

Nine-term Rep. Earl Pomeroy’s (D-N.D.) re-election prospects are looking shaky for the first time in years.

Pomeroy trails state Rep. Rick Berg (R) in a new Rasmussen Reports survey conducted Feb. 9 and 10, and is in a virtual tie with the state’s public service commissioner Kevin Cramer (R), whom he beat by double-digits in 1998.

Berg tops Pomeroy 46 to 40 percent among likely voters with 11 percent undecided. And Pomeroy leads Cramer 45 to 40 percent with 7 percent undecided. The Democratic incumbent fares better against insurance agent Paul Schaffner (R), leading 47 to 38 percent. Ten percent remain undecided.

The margin of error is 4.5 percent.

Pomeroy’s favorable-to-unfavorable rating is nearly even. Forty-eight percent of likely voters view their at large congressman favorably, 33 percent very favorably, while 46 percent view him unfavorably, 29 percent very unfavorably.

And North Dakotans take a dim view to Democrats’ national leadership. Just 39 percent of likely voters now approve of the job Barack Obama is doing as president; 58 percent disapprove. Among those who feel strong, 19 percent strongly approve and 45 percent strongly disapprove of Obama.

CQ Politics rates the general election contest Likely Democratic.