Dem poll: Rep. Bachmann in trouble

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is in a close race, according to a poll conducted for her Democratic opponent, Jim Graves.

The poll shows Bachmann holding a narrow 48 to 46 percent lead despite the conservative lean of the district, a dangerous place to be for any incumbent. The poll shows Bachmann with near-universal name recognition, while Graves is unknown by more than 6 in 10 voters in the district, suggesting he could have room to grow.

Partisan polls should always be taken with a grain of salt, and the district is fairly safely Republican — under the new redistricting lines, it would have given President Obama 43 percent of its vote.

Bachmann is a terrific fundraiser and has proven resilient in the district, though Graves could be a tougher challenger than previous Democrats because of his more centrist views and the absence of a third-party candidate in the race.

Graves also has the ability to self-fund, though he's said he doesn't plan to do so in a big way, and  a Democratic super-PAC has thrown its support behind him.

The poll of 401 likely voters, which was first reported by Salon.com, was conducted from Aug. 29-30 by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research.

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