The Tea Party's Christine O'Donnell

Duking it Out in Delaware: Republican Candidates Battling for Senate Primary Win

by Lauren Torlone | September 11, 2010

Voters in 7 states and the District of Columbia will head to the polls Tuesday, in what will be the last major primary before midterm election day on November 2nd. One state that's being closely watched is Delaware, where Christine O'Donnell is competing against Congressman Mike Castle in the state's Republican Senate primary.

Recent polling from Rasmussen Reports gives Castle a thirty point advantage over O'Donnell, a gap some political analysts think she can overcome, despite some image setbacks during her campaign.

In recent weeks, O'Donnell has faced questions surrounding her finances and college education. O'Donnell officially earned her diploma from Farleigh Dickinson University earlier this month, even though she attended the school more than twenty years ago. Sean Trende, Senior Elections Analyst at Real Clear Politics says in spite of setbacks, "in the year of the Tea Party, anything can happen in Delaware." O'Donnell is backed by the Tea Party Express, the same group that helped Joe Miller to victory over Senator Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's Republican Senate primary.

Also buoyed by recent endorsements from former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint and the National Rifle Association, Trende says O'Donnell is in a "competitive situation" against Castle. If accurate, an impressive feat given Castle is a long-established candidate who "has had a chance to prepare" for a race against O'Donnell.

While O'Donnell's high profile endorsements lend publicly to her candidacy, Trende cautions her own public profile is smaller within the state, something that could help Castle in Delaware "where he's probably met most of the citizens over the course of his career."

The winner of Tuesday's vote will go on to face Democrat Chris Coons. Polling data of a match-up between Castle and Coons gives Castle an eleven point lead over Coons, while a pairing of Coons versus O'Donnell puts Coons ahead by 11 points heading into November.

For the latest election coverage, log on to Fox News



Read more: Fox News

Bush Legacy Continues in Mississippi

"The Republican brand has been so badly damaged that if Republicans try to run an anti-Obama, anti-Rev. Wright or, if Sen. Clinton wins, anti-Clinton campaign, they are simply going to fail"

- Newt Gingrich

NRCC Chairman Tom Cole's Statement on Special Election Results in Mississippi

Washington -- NRCC Chairman Tom Cole released the following statement following the results of the special election runoff in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District:

"We are disappointed in tonight's election results. Though the NRCC, RNC and Mississippi Republicans made a major effort to retain this seat, we came up short.

"Tonight's election highlights two significant challenges Republicans must overcome this November. First, Republicans must be prepared to campaign against Democrat challengers who are running as conservatives, even as they try to join a liberal Democrat majority. Though the Democrats' task will be more difficult in a November election, the fact is they have pulled off two special election victories with this strategy, and it should be a concern to all Republicans.

"Second, the political environment is such that voters remain pessimistic about the direction of the country and the Republican Party in general. Therefore, Republicans must undertake bold efforts to define a forward looking agenda that offers the kind of positive change voters are looking for. This is something we can do in cooperation with our Presidential nominee, but time is short.

"I encourage all Republican candidates, whether incumbents or challengers, to take stock of their campaigns and position themselves for challenging campaigns this fall by building the financial resources and grassroots networks that offer them the opportunity and ability to communicate, energize and turn out voters this election."

Eleven white Republican men.

Scary, huh? Get over it, because everyone of them is more qualified than any of the Democratic candidates. It is not even close. They are there because they are qualified to lead and govern. There is not one of them that I would have any hesitation in supporting. I would swap anyone of them fror the current people's choice. They include:

• Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas.
• Former governor Jim Gilmore of Virginia.
• Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.
• Former governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas.
• Rep. Duncan Hunter of California.
• Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
• Rep. Ron Paul of Texas.
• Former governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts.
• Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado.
• Former governor Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin