A recent poll conducted by Research 2000 and the left-leaning blog Daily Kos shows Sen. David Vitter in a vulnerable spot as he prepares for his re-election campaign in 2010. The incumbent senator, who has yet to face voters since last year’s admission to a “serious sin” involving a D.C. prostitution ring, does still hold an edge over any potential competitors. In hypothetical matchups, the poll shows that if the election were today, Vitter edges Secretary of State Jay Dardenne 43 percent to 32 percent, Democratic Rep. Charlie Melancon 48 percent to 41 percent, and former Democratic Congressman Don Cazayoux 48 percent to 39 percent.
More encouraging for the Vitter campaign is that two would-be Republican challengers recently announced they would not be entering the Senate race. Both former state Rep. Tony Perkins, now director of the Family Research Council in D.C., and former Congressman John Cooksey of Monroe say they will not challenge Vitter. Meanwhile, Democratic state Sen. Rob Marionneaux of Maringouin indicates he is seriously considering the race.