Poll finds Akin with slight lead over McCaskill

Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) leads Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) in his bid for the Senate by a slim margin, according to a new poll.

Wenzel Strategies, a Republican leaning pollster, found Akin leading McCaskill 49 to 45 percent with 7 percent undecided.

Both candidates are underwater, though, on favorability. Forty-five percent of voters rate Akin favorably, with 49 unfavorable. McCaskill is viewed favorably by 44 percent and unfavorably by 52.

Broken down across gender lines, McCaskill has a 7-point advantage among women, leading Akin with 50 to 43 percent support. Among men though, Akin holds the edge, with fifty-five percent of men backing Akin to 39 percent who support McCaskill. 

Other polls, however, show McCaskill with a solid lead in the race. A survey from Republican-leaning Rasmussen released earlier this month showed McCaskill up 6, with 51 percent support to 45.

A poll from Democratic-affiliated Public Policy Polling (PPP) this month also showed her up 6, at 46-40.

The Wenzel poll comes as Akin and McCaskill continue to jockey for an advantage in the Missouri Senate race. The Akin campaign recently released a new ad hitting McCaskill on her support for healthcare reform while the McCaskill campaign put out its own ad attacking Akin on education policy.

Republicans had high hopes that Akin would be able to unseat McCaskill, but the House lawmaker lost ground after making controversial remarks on abortion and "legitimate rape."

The Wenzel Strategies poll was conducted Oct. 12-13 among 1,000 Missouri voters. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.07 percentage points.

The survey's sample was 38 percent Democrats, 37 percent Republicans and 25 percent independent voters.

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