It seems that Democrats' strategy of giving Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren a primetime speaking spot at the Democratic Convention is paying off. In Warren's highly contested Senate race with Republican Senator Scott Brown (R-Mass), she has now pulled dead even in the polls.
According to Republican-leaning firm Kimball Political Consulting, 46 percent of likely voters back Brown, while 45 percent support Warren. That marks a start improvement from August 21, when Brown led Warren by 49 to 43, a total of 6 points.
Whether Warren can sustain that momentum ahead of November of course remains to be seen. But the post-Convention bump is a good sign for Democrats, who have put much stock in the Massachusetts race as one of the states where the party can pluck off a Republican and increase its majority in the Senate in November 2012.
Warren delivered one of the major headline addresses at the Democratic Convention in Charlotte, speaking on Night 2 ahead of former President Bill Clinton, something which Warren even acknowledged was a surprise and great honor in her speech. The address, which touched on her progressive vision for the American economy in which billionaires are forced to pay more of their fair share in taxes, was well received by Democrats and has turned her into a party leader going into November.
Meanwhile, Scott Brown avoided speaking at the Republican Convention in Tampa altogether, and only attended for one day, because he's looking to present himself as a moderate Republican in order to appeal to the Northeast state's voters.
Up next for Warren and Brown will be an all-important television debate to take place on October 1, which could play a pivotal role. Nine percent of Massachusetts voters remain undecided in 2012, which means the debate could swing the election in either candidate's favor.
Note on the Kimball poll: the statewide poll of 756 Massachusetts likely voters was conducted over the weekend of September 7, 8 and 9, 2012, using automated telephone interviews of landline and cell phone users. The margin of error is +/- 3.5 percent at a 95 percent level of confidence.
