Joe Miller (R) leads Scott McAdams (D) in the Alaska Senate race that was turned on its head after Miller unseated Sen. Lisa Murkowski, according to a new survey of the state’s voters by Rasmussen Reports. Miller, a tea partier backed by Sarah Palin who has never held public office, leads McAdams, mayor of Sitka, Alaska, by six points. Democrats believe this second poll puts them in striking distance for a possible pickup.
Rasmussen’s poll, taken last night after Murkowski conceded she lost the GOP primary, shows Miller leads McAdams 50-44. Neither man is well known in the state.
The pollster is moving the race from “Solid Republican” to “Leans Republican.” Rasmussen writes:
Ninety percent (90%) of Democrats back McAdams while 79% of Republicans throw their vote behind Miller. McAdams holds a 22-point lead among voters not affiliated with either major political party.
The survey of 500 likely voters has a ±4.5% margin of error.
A PPP poll taken last week showed Miller leading McAdams 47-39.
There is no TPM Poll Average of this race because there was so little polling in the leadup to Tuesday’s primary, but you can see the two Alaska polls here.
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