Isakson Below 50% in Rasmussen Poll

Republican Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia may be suffering from the same anti-incumbency backlash that many of his Senate colleagues around the country are experiencing in their reelection bids.

The first Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 telephone survey of the Georgia Senate race finds Isakson earning 49% of the vote against an unnamed generic Democratic candidate who picks up the support of 36% of likely voters. Given that match-up, four percent (4%) like some other candidate, and 12% are undecided.

Rasmussen Reports chose to pit Isakson against a generic candidate because there is as yet no major Democratic challenger in the Georgia Senate race. But it is significant to note that any incumbent who polls at less than 50% at this stage of the campaign is considered potentially vulnerable.

For any Democrat, however, Georgia is viewed as tough political terrain these days.

Three-out-of-the-four top GOP candidates are now slightly ahead of the Democrat they are most likely to face in this year’s race for governor in Georgia.

Georgia Survey of 500 Likey Voters
February 17, 2010

Election 2010: Georgia Senate

Johnny Isakson (R)
49%

Democratic Candidate
36%

Some other candidate
4%

Not sure
12%

I'm very skeptical of Rasmussen polling, so I'll just take this as a grain of salt.