Senate hopefuls crisscross state as race remains tight

By Jeremy W. Peters

Daily Staff Reporter

WARREN - In the wake of recent polling that shows the Senate race between incumbent Spence Abraham and Democratic challenger Debbie Stabenow in a statistical tie, both candidates spent the weekend campaigning actively across the state.

The Lansing congresswoman spent yesterday as part of Vice President Al Gore's "Great Lakes Prosperity Tour," which made a stop in Warren before heading to East Lansing, Grand Rapids and Muskegon.

At a rally in Warren where Stabenow joined Gore, his running mate Joe Lieberman and other Democrats including Sen. Carl Levin and Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer, speakers heralded the congresswoman's leap in the polls.

"Now, have you heard the latest about Debbie Stabenow?" Lieberman asked the crowd. "MSNBC/Reuters/Zogby poll just out today - Debbie is ahead by one point. She's going to be a great senator."

The poll, commissioned last Friday and Saturday, puts Stabenow ahead of Abraham, 43 percent to 42 percent. The margin of error is 4.5 percent.

Abraham spent Saturday traveling across Southeast Michigan on his "Workhorse Express" bus, which made stops in Northville, Franklin and Farmington Hills.

The Republican first-term senator has seen his sizable lead in the polls gradually evaporate but said he never expected to just cruise back into office without a fight.

"You know, we never expected to win by a landslide. Michigan is a competitive state - there's been millions of dollars spent on both sides," Abraham said in an interview after his visit to the Franklin Cider Mill on Saturday. "You're always going to have a competitive race going on in Michigan ... especially with the presidential race as close as it is."

Stabenow campaign officials said they are invigorated by the latest poll numbers.

the position and reiterated her devotion to Michigan.

"I'm very committed to my job here," she said.

The position of chancellor is roughly equivalent to that of the president at the University of Michigan, Durand said. Wisconsin's Madison campus has an enrollment of about 40,100 students. It has a faculty of about 2,135 and an annual operating budget of $1.4 billion, with $514.5 million coming from funding for research and development and $236.4 million from annual gifts and trust fund revenue.

Cantor began her career at the University in 1989 as associate dean for faculty programs at the Horace Rackham School of Graduate Studies. She left the position in 1991 to join the faculty of Princeton University, where she served as chair of the psychology department from 1992 until her return to Michigan in 1996. Prior to her appointment as provost in 1997, Cantor was dean of Rackham and vice provost for academic affairs.