Add another reason for the rumor mill to churn about a Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) run for Senate this year. A new Rasmussen poll out this morning shows Pence leading the man he’ll try to unseat should he enter the race, Sen. Evan Bayh (D), in a head-to-head matchup
The poll shows Pence ahead of Bayh by 3 points, 47-44. Bayh, a moderate who has at times clashed with the White House over spending during the past year, would be a particularly sweet target for the GOP. The prospects of a Pence win is also likely to fire up the tea party base of the GOP, who consider Pence one of their kind of Republicans.
Pence hasn’t said whether he’ll run or not, but reports show he’s been seriously considering it. Last week, Reid Wilson reported Pence met with the NRSC to discuss the possibility.
Late Update: Rasmussen has posted the full poll to their site. The margin of error on the poll is 3.5%, meaning the Pence-Bayh results essentially show the race to be a dead heat. But the data also shows that voters may be ready to replace Bayh. He’s also locked in a dead heat with another potential GOP opponent, ex-Rep. John Hostettler (though in that matchup it’s Bayh with the three point lead.)
