"The playing field was reshaped by Ronald Reagan," said Peter Hart, a prominent pollster who works primarily for Democrats.

Whit Ayres, a prominent Republican pollster in Atlanta who once worked in Mr. Campbell's administration, said the influence of newcomers is significant but should not be overstated.

"She didn't win because she was a woman but because of what she represents as a woman - the new vision, the new direction," said Ed Sarpolus, a prominent pollster in Michigan.

But Bill McInturff, a prominent Republican pollster and strategist, asserted, "My guess is what the President is doing is readily transparent to the American people."

Many state leaders remain confident that there is no way the measure will pass, with many citing the recent Alaska Poll, a periodic statewide survey conducted by David Dittman, a prominent pollster here.

Her father, Abdo Saad, is a prominent Shiite pollster; her mother is Christian.

Some prominent Republican pollsters, including Richard Wirthlin and Robert Teeter, have already made it known that they would be available for a Powell campaign.

He was a prominent pollster for the 2012 Romney/Ryan campaign.

Ting Tin-yu, another prominent pollster, agreed.

The prominent pollsters quickly modified projections based on samples of actual vote counts from selected polling places, better known as the "quick count".