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Democrats ahead for three GOP Senate seats

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor October 31, 2008 12:16 PM

New polls just out suggest that Democrats are poised to pick up three US Senate seats now held by Republicans, bringing the party within reach of the potentially filbuster-proof majority that a President Barack Obama would need to push through his proposals.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. surveys released this afternoon give Democratic Representative Mark Udall a 53 percent to 43 percent lead among likely voters over Republican former Representative Bob Schaffer in Colorado.

In North Carolina, Democrat Kay Hagan leads Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole 53 percent to 44 percent. And in Virginia, Democrat Mark Warner leads Republican Jim Gilmore 63 percent to 35 percent.

Republican Saxby Chambliss is ahead of Democrat Jim Martin 53 percent to 44 percent to hold on to his Senate seat in Georgia.

The surveys were conducted Oct. 23-28 and have margins of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, except in North Carolina, where it is 4 percentage points.

With the usual support of two independents, Democrats now have 51 votes in the Senate and hope to reach 60 on Tuesday.

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