WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- A new poll finds Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., ahead of her likely Republican opponent in the 2004 election -- but with less than 50 percent of the vote.
The poll, conducted for Emily's List, a liberal pro-abortion right group showed Murray leading Republican Rep. George Nethercutt 48 percent to 26 percent with 25 percent undecided in the initial ballot test.
The survey of 600 likely voters, conducted in mid-November by the Mellman Group, which is associated with Democrats, was released Jan. 12 and has a margin of error of 4 percent.
Murray was last re-elected in 1998, defeating former Republican Rep. Linda Smith by more than 300,000 votes. Former Vice President Al Gore carried the state in 2000, running more than 135,000 votes ahead of George W. bush.
