FARGO, N.D.  —  Sen. Byron Dorgan (search) and Rep. Earl Pomeroy (search), D-N.D., have comfortable leads over their election opponents, Republican Mike Liffrig and Duane Sand, a new poll says.

The poll conducted for The Forum and WDAY TV found 71 percent of 623 likely North Dakota voters said they would vote for Dorgan and 20 percent said they would vote for Liffrig. Eight percent were undecided.

Pomeroy was leading Sand, 61 percent to 31 percent, with 8 percent undecided, the poll found.

The telephone poll of 623 likely voters was conducted last week by the Public Affairs Institute at Minnesota State University, Mas contributed to Democratic Party causes. He declined to cite specifics about his political contributions, saying they were a private matter, and said he conducted the poll as a professional. Figures from the Center for Responsive Politics, show he donated $250 to the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party on Oct. 30, 2003. Baumann said he has not contributed to any political campaigns in North Dakota.