Republican candidates come out mostly ahead in a new batch of swing state U.S. Senate polls of Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania from Quinnipiac University.
Both U.S. Senate races in North Carolina and Pennsylvania are currently tossups on TPM’s Senate Scoreboard.
The race is closest in North Carolina, where incumbent Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) ties with Democratic Challenger Deborah Ross at 46 percent.
Ross has closed in on the incumbent since Quinnipiac polled North Carolina voters in early September, when Burr led 49-43.
In Pennsylvania, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) distanced himself from Democratic Challenger Katie McGinty, leading the poll 50-42. The candidates were just one point apart in last month, when Toomey led, 46-45. But the polling in Pennsylvania has been all over the map, with another respected poll Tuesday giving McGinty a 6-point lead.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) maintains a lead in the U.S. Senate race in Florida, leading Democratic challenger Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-FL), 48-44. His lead has dropped slightly since early last month, when Rubio led by seven points, 50-43.
The Quinnipiac poll surveyed likely voters via live telephone interview from Sept. 27-Oct. 2. The Florida poll surveyed 545 likely voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percent; the North Carolina poll surveyed 507 likely voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percent; and the Pennsylvania poll surveyed 535 likely voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percent.
TPM’s PollTracker Average for the U.S. Senate election in Florida shows Rubio leading Murphy, 47 to 42.8.
TPM’s PollTracker Average for the U.S. Senate election in North Carolina shows a tossup, with Ross leading Burr, 45.6 to 45.3.
TPM’s PollTracker Average for the U.S. Senate election in Pennsylvania shows a tossup, with Toomey leading McGinty, 43.8 to 43.7.
