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New Poll Shows Front-Runner To Replace Senator Mikulski

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A day after a leader emerges in the Baltimore mayor's race, there's also a front-runner in the race for Maryland's US Senate seat.

Mary Bubala has the results.

The poll, conducted by Opinion Works for the Baltimore Sun and the University of Baltimore, is the first snapshot of who voters think should replace Senator Barbara Mikulski.

Mikulski is retiring in 2017 after four decades of public service and two prominent politicians want to fill her seat: Representative Chris Van Hollen of Montgomery Country and Representative Donna Edwards of Prince George's County---and right now, one of them has a double digit lead.

In a new poll for the Baltimore Sun and the University of Maryland, Chris Van Hollen has 45% of the vote to Edwards' 31%.

"They both get very big leads out of their home counties but up here in Baltimore, Van Hollen has made serious inroads," said Steve Raabe, president of Opinion Works.

Van Hollen's election ads have been running for weeks in Baltimore, but even the best media blitz can't outdo the popularity of native son Elijah Cummings. If the congressman enters the race---something he's considering---the difference is striking.

Congressman Cummings gets 40% of the vote to Van Hollen's 28% and Edwards' 19%.

"He is very strong and he's not just strong here in Baltimore but he has a statewide profile. He's been on the news around recent events but he also has a congressional profile that causes people in the DC suburbs to take note of him," Raabe said.

There area number of candidates on the Republican side of this race but state Delegate Kathy Szeliga has an almost double digit lead.

The primary is April 26.

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