Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas is down by 7 percentage points to GOP challenger Rep. Tom Cotton,
according to a new Fox News poll, but Cotton's lead may be a little precarious with 18 percent of his supporters saying they may change their minds before Election Day rolls around next month.
Independents may be the key to victory for Cotton, according to the poll of 707 likely voters taken from Oct. 4 to 7, with 45 percent saying they would back Cotton and 26 percent for Pryor. Cotton, an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, also has the nod among white evangelical Christians, by 34 points; men, by 15 points; and veterans, by 12 points.
Support for President Barack Obama may also come into play, with 61 percent of undecided voters saying they disapprove of the president. Pryor, first elected in 2002, supported Obamacare in 2010. Immigration may also be a factor, with voters saying by a 50-41 percent margin that they oppose creating a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. People who oppose the measure favored Cotton by nearly 40 points in the poll.
Voters were equally divided on the fairness of the race, with 46 percent on each side saying the candidates are crossing the line with their attacks.
The poll also found that Republican Asa Hutchinson is leading Democratic challenger Mike Ross by 46 percent to 37 percent in the gubernatorial race to replace Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe, who is leaving the statehouse under state term-limits rules.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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