MILWAUKEE - In the battle for control of the United States Senate, the Democratic Party's quest to hold its majority relies in large part on protecting two of its open seats in Wisconsin and Virginia.
The contest to succeed Senator Herb Kohl, the Wisconsin Democrat who is retiring, is deadlocked, according to a new Quinnipiac University/New York Times/CBS News poll. The survey of likely Wisconsin voters found that Representative Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat, and former Gov. Tommy G. Thompson, a Republican, each received support from 47 percent of voters, with 6 percent undecided.
One month ago, the poll found that Mr. Thompson had a six-point advantage over Ms. Baldwin. The race remains among the close st in the country, the outcome of which may be influenced by the degree to which the state becomes a top battleground in the presidential race.
In Virginia, the poll found that Democrats hold the upper hand in the race to fill the seat of Senator Jim Webb, a Democrat who is also retiring.
Tim Kaine, a former governor and past chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is leading George Allen, a former governor and senator, by 51 percent to 44 percent among likely Virginia voters. The seven-point lead for Mr. Kaine in the poll is up from two percentage points in August.
The Wisconsin and Virginia polls each have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for each candidate.
