After the shellacking Liddy Dole took from Kay Hagan in last year’s U.S. Senate race, some political observers noted that Sen. Richard “Honey, raid the ATM!” Burr could be vulnerable in his 2010 re-election bid. Add to Hagan’s victory the fact that the state went for the Democratic presidential candidate for the first time in over 30 years, and Burr’s chances looked a bit dimmer. Now comes more a researched forecast, and it’s not good news for Burr. Pollster and election expert /guru/ authority Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight.com has ranked the 2010 Senate races by how likely seats are to change parties. Silver says Burr’s seat is the seventh most likely to flip parties in the 2010 race. The key, says Silver, is whether our state’s popular Attorney General Roy Cooper, decides to enter the race. If he does, Burr’s in for a fight. Otherwise, says Silver, Sen. Tobacco could be re-elected.
This article appears in May 5-12, 2009.
