Poll-itics: Senate edition

By GottaLaff

Taegan Goddard brings us more good news. First, Joisey:

According to a new Public Mind Poll, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) is way ahead of rival Dick Zimmer (R) in the New Jersey U.S. Senate race, 44% to 29%.

Key finding: "Even among self-identified Republican voters, Zimmer is not known: A majority (62%) say they don't have an opinion of him or have never heard of him at all."

Said pollster Peter Woolley: "If three quarters of the public know nothing about the Republican nominee for the United States Senate, then he's certainly got a long climb."

Next, a very competitve Oregon race:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce -- a group philosophically allied with Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) -- released a survey warning that Smith "is clearly quite vulnerable" in his re-election race against Jeff Merkley (D), according to the Oregonian.

Smith currently leads Merkley, 38% to 34%.

We need to have a solid majority. We're on our way.