Poll: Tester Widens Lead Against Burns

Jon Tester, Montana Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, elaborates on several issues during an interview with the Associated Press in Helena Mont., on Thursday, Oct.12, 2006. (AP Photo/Independent Record, George Lane) (George Lane - AP)

HELENA, Mont. -- Democrat Jon Tester widened his lead against Republican Sen. Conrad Burns in a poll released Wednesday.

Tester led 46 percent to Burns' 35 percent, with a majority of respondents saying the incumbent's ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff were an issue in the campaign.

Only 14 percent of poll respondents said they didn't think the Abramoff scandal was an issue.

The poll, conducted by the Montana State University-Billings political science department, sampled 409 registered voters by telephone Oct. 10-12 and Oct. 14-15. It has a margin of error of 5 percentage points.

Democrats have been hammering away at Burns' ties to Abramoff. Burns took, and has since given away, about $150,000 in campaign contributions from Abramoff.

In addition, Burns, a three-term senator, has made a number of verbal gaffes, most notably when he cursed at a group of firefighters who were returning home from a wildfire.

The poll showed 38 percent of respondents saying Burns' connection to Abramoff was an ethics issue, while 35 percent called it a political mistake and 13 percent were undecided.

The survey is the second recent poll showing an apparent Tester lead; one conducted in September had Tester up 7 points over Burns.

The two have had a series of debates in recent weeks playing to packed houses.