Polls: Massachusetts Senate Race A Wild Ride

Two recent polls show very different outcomes in the battle between Democrat Martha Coakley and Republican Scott Brown in the race for the Massachusetts U.S. Senate seat once held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy.

A new Boston Globe poll gives Coakley, the state's attorney general, a 15-point lead over state legislator Brown. But a survey conducted by Public Policy Polling showed Brown inching ahead of Coakley by one point.

According to the Globe:

Democrat Martha Coakley, buoyed by her durable statewide popularity, enjoys a solid, 15-percentage-point lead over Republican rival Scott Brown as the race for US Senate enters the homestretch, according to a new Boston Globe poll of likely voters.

Half of voters surveyed said they would pick Coakley, the attorney general, if the election were held today, compared with 35 percent who would pick Brown. Nine percent were undecided, and a third candidate in the race, independent Joseph L. Kennedy, received 5 percent.

The Public Policy Polling results showed Brown with a razor-thin edge -- 48 to 47 percent -- over Coakley, giving state and national Republicans fresh hope that a Senate seat thought to be safe for the Democrats could still be in play.

Voters in Massachusetts go to the polls on Jan. 19, and as Hotline reports, weather may be a key factor driving turnout:

One factor to watch this week: early weather forecasts for 1/19, Election Day. General elections are held in more temperate weather in early Nov. But mid-Jan. in MA can be stormy and bitterly cold.

The Coakley camp will be rooting for nice conditions to encourage turnout, but the Brown camp would probably welcome more inclement weather.

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