MILWAUKEE - The contest to fill the seat of retiring Senator Herb Kohl, Democrat of Wisconsin, is now a Tossup, according to the latest assessment of the race by The New York Times. (Full Senate map)
Representative Tammy Baldwin, the Democratic candidate, is running strong against Tommy Thompson, a former Republican governor, who has struggled to gain ground and replenish his coffers after winning a competitive primary last month.
With seven weeks remaining until the election, Republicans in the state expressed worry in interviews here this week that Mr. Thompson, one of the state's most well known Republicans, was not performing better against Ms. Baldwin, a congresswoman from Madison.
A n ew Quinnipiac University/New York Times/CBS News survey of likely Wisconsin voters found that Ms. Baldwin and Mr. Thompson 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 one of the closest in the country and could help determine whether Democrats maintain control of their majority in the United States Senate. The outcome may be influenced by the degree to which the state becomes a top battleground in the presidential race.
