In a big development in the West Virginia Senate race, the new Rasmussen poll shows Republican businessman John Raese taking a narrow lead over Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin, in the race to succeed the late Dem Sen. Robert Byrd.
The numbers: Raese 48%, Manchin 46%. The survey of likely voters has a ±4.0% margin of error. The previous Rasmussen poll from last week was quite different, with Manchin ahead by 50%-43%.
From the pollster’s analysis: “This race has been closer than expected for weeks as Manchin, despite his popularity with voters in the state, faces an electorate that is even unhappier with the national Democratic agenda than voters in most other parts of the country.”
