(NOTE: In 2004 Inouye won with 75% of the vote so this is quite a come down.)

From www.Rasmussen.com  LINK>>>original

Democrat Daniel Inouye has represented Hawaii in the U.S. Senate for 47 years, and he now holds a 13-point lead over Republican challenger Cam Cavasso in his bid for another six-year term. 

The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters in the state shows Inouye picking up 53% of the vote, while Cavasso, a former member of the state’s House of Representatives captures 40%. Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate, and four percent (4%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

This is the first Rasmussen Reports survey of the race to include Cavasso who won the Republican primary on September 18 with 67% of the vote. Inouye faced no serious opposition in his party’s primary. Cavasso ran against Inouye in 2004 and lost by a 75% to 21% margin.

In June, Inouye held a better than three-to-one lead over his only announced Republican opponent at the time, John Roco. 

This race is classified as Solid Democrat in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Balance of Power rankings. 

This survey of 500 Likely Voters in Hawaii was conducted on October 13, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/-4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

The state’s gubernatorial race between Democrat Neil Abercrombie and Republican Duke Aiona is proving to be surprisingly close despite Hawaii's strong Democratic leanings.

Cavasso is backed by 80% of the state’s Republicans, while Inouye draws support from 78% of Democrats. Among voters not affiliated with either major political party, Cavasso has a slight edge.

In Hawaii, 10% rate the U.S. economy as good or excellent, while 48% view it as poor. Thirty-nine percent (39%) say economic conditions are getting better, but 32% say they are getting worse.

Seventy-eight percent (78%) of voters who believe the economy is improving support Inouye, while 61% who think the opposite prefer Cavasso.

Only 14% of Hawaii voters say they are part of the Tea Party movement, lower than findings nationally.  Sixty-eight percent (68%) say they are not part of the movement, but another 18% are not sure.

Seventy-eight percent (78%) of Tea Party voters give their vote to Cavasso, while 64% of non-members favor Inouye.

Just 35% of Hawaii voters say the Tea Party movement is good for the country, while 38% see it as a bad thing.

Forty-four percent (44%) of Hawaii voters favor repeal of the national health care plan, well below support for repeal found nationally.

Forty-eight percent (48%) oppose repeal of the law. Those numbers include 30% who Strongly Favor repeal and 33% who Strongly Oppose it.
Seventy-two percent (72%) of voters who Strongly Favor repeal of the law support Cavasso, while 77% of those who Strongly Oppose it support Inouye.

Seventy percent (70%) of Hawaii voters hold a favorable opinion of Inouye, including 43% with a Very Favorable impression. Twenty-six percent (26%) view the senator unfavorably, including Very Unfavorable reviews from 11%.

Ratings for Cavasso are 36% favorable, 37% unfavorable. Those numbers include eight percent (8%) with a Very Favorable opinion and 15% with a Very Unfavorable impression. But 27% do not know enough about the GOP nominee to venture even a soft opinion of him.

Barack Obama carried Hawaii in the 2008 elections with 72% of the vote. Now, 61% of voters in his native state approve of the job he is doing as president, while 38% disapprove.

---30---

See survey questions and toplines.  Crosstabs are available to Premium Members only.

NRO Campaign Spot: The First 47 Years Were a Warm-Up, Apparently

That (13%) may not sound like much, but take a look at Inouye’s usual margins and percentages: 75.4 percent (2004) 76.4 percent (1998) 57.2 percent (1992) 73.5 percent (1986) 77.9 percent (1980) 82.8 percent (1974), 83.4 percent (1968), 69.4 percent (1962).

Cam Cavasso: http://camcavasso.com/

VIDEO: Cam Cavasso’s Plan for Jobs and a 21st Century Economy