RUNNING ON EMPTY :

Poll: N.H. GOP Senate Hopefuls Even (AP, Sep 3, 2002)

Sen. Bob Smith, once trailing badly in his battle for re-election, has pulled even with Rep. John E. Sununu in their Republican primary race, a poll shows.

As the two did radio talk shows and greeted voters during the final week before the Sept. 10 primary, a poll showed that whoever wins will be in a close race with popular Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen.

Sununu had 46 percent to Smith's 45 percent in the Concord Monitor poll published over the weekend. Nine percent were undecided in the survey, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 6 percentage points.

Sununu was far ahead in early polls, including one by the University of New Hampshire in April that had him leading by 29 percentage points.

Asked to choose between Smith and Shaheen, who is unopposed in the Democratic primary, Shaheen had 42 percent to Smith's 39 percent with 16 percent undecided. In a Sununu-Shaheen matchup, 44 percent favored Sununu to 43 percent for Shaheen, with 11 percent undecided.

Sununu still has to be the favorite, but if turnout is as low as it now seems like it might be, he's in big trouble. Posted by Orrin Judd at September 3, 2002 4:04 PM