TN-Sen: Competitive race (with POLL!)

From http://oursenate.com

Rep. Harold Ford Jr., the Democratic Senate candidate in Tennessee, appears to have gained ground. Earlier this year his own polls showed him in a very tough battle; now nonpartisan polls show a less negative portrait.

Rasmussen:

Rep. Harold Ford (D) - 42%
Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker (R) - 36%

Former Rep. Ed Bryant (R) - 41%
Rep. Harold Ford (D) - 38%

Former Rep. Van Hilleary (R) - 41%
Rep. Harold Ford (D) - 39%

The brief, but well-thought, analysis below the fold...

It is to Ford's credit that he can remain so competitive in this increasingly red state. The Republican primary has been divisive and competitive so far. It will occur relatively late, on August 3, and since Ford will probably cruise to the Democratic nod, he can focus on raising money for a tough challenge from the GOP rather than fighting for his party's nomination. A year ago I would have said Corker is the strongest Republican; now it appears that Bryant could have that distinction. He is reliably conservative, and does not have the stigma of previously losing a statewide race as Hilleary does (Hilleary lost the 2002 governor's race to Democrat Phil Bredesen). It will be interesting to see how fundraising is going on the GOP side at the end of the year. Anyhow, what looked like a good bet for the Republicans now appears to be a downright toss-up.

Keep up-to-date on the Senate races of 2006 at http://oursenate.com