The latest poll shows Sen. Kay Hagan pulling ahead of N.C. House Speaker Thom Tillis in the tight N.C. Senate race.
Forty-five percent of 1,000 likely voters told Rasmussen Reports that they would vote for Hagan, the Democratic candidate and incumbent, compared to 39 percent who would pick Republican Tillis, according to survey results released this week.
Another 15 percent of respondents fell into the “undecided” or “voting for another candidate” camps.
Libertarian candidate Sean Haugh is also fighting for the seat.
The Tillis-Hagan split gets closer when Rasmussen considered only people who said they would definitely vote. That measure saw Hagan leading by a slim two percentage points, 45 to 43.
Chris Hayden, a spokesman for Hagan, said the campaign doesn’t put much credence on poll results, which can fluctuate throughout the race.
People are also reading…
Matthew DeSantis, assistant professor of political science at GTCC, said the results demonstrate how close the Senate race is.
“You have to take it seriously,” DeSantis said. “Forty-five to 39 demonstrates that there are also a lot of people who are unsure.”
The North Carolina race is one that folks are eyeing nationwide, as Republicans fight to topple the Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate.
Throughout the spring and summer, Tillis and Hagan have gone back and forth between who was leading in the polls.
“What the race ultimately comes down to is a comparison of records and which candidate has a better record,” said Tillis spokesman Daniel Keylin.
The most recent Rasmussen phone survey polled people across the state Monday through Wednesday. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
The poll also found Hagan got better favorability ratings than Tillis.
Forty-seven percent of voters polled had a favorable opinion of Hagan.
Forty-one percent had a favorable opinion of Tillis.
Another survey — the Elon Poll — is due to release its results for this race early next week.
