The new Rasmussen poll of the West Virginia Senate race shows Republican businessman John Raese still ahead against Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin, but with his lead tightening from where it was before.
The numbers: Raese 49%, Manchin 46%. The survey of likely voters has a ±4% margin of error. In the previous Rasmussen poll from last week, Raese led by 50%-44%.
This poll comes in the wake of a recent fumble by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which launched an ad that was produced in Philadelphia using a casting call for “hicky” looking actors. (The NRSC condemned the casting call when it was first reported, saying that it was done without their knowledge by a subcontractor.)
The pollster’s analysis sums up the tension in this race: “The race in which Manchin was the overwhelming initial favorite appears to be pitting his popularity as governor versus President Obama’s unpopularity with West Virginia voters.”
The TPM Poll Average gives Raese a lead of 47.9%-45.1%.
