Todd Akin leads in Missouri poll
A new poll released yesterday, conducted by Wenzel Strategies and commissioned by the Family Research Council, shows Todd Akin leading over incumbent Democrat Senator Claire McCaskill by a 45 percent to 42 percent margin.
This is the first poll to show the challenger and Republican nominee Akin leading since the “legitimate rape” gaffe.
The Congressman has apologized for the gaffe and this survey result indicates a degree of acceptance of the apology by many voters. The poll surveyed 829 likely voters between August 28-29.
The poll found independent voters favoring Akin of McCaskill by a margin of 44 percent to 34 percent. McCaskill is winning 82 percent of Democrats while Akin is winning 78 percent of Republicans. 11 percent of Republicans are undecided, as this may indicates a small degree of lingering effort of the gaffe. It is possible that some of those Republican voters may return to supporting Akin as the election draws closer.
The poll also finds 80 percent of respondents have already made up their mind on who they will vote for in this race. Both candidates were viewed favorably by 41 percent while McCaskill had a 51 percent negative rating and Akin polled negatively at a 50 percent rate. Only 11 percent of Republicans view McCaskill favorably while 22 percent of Democrat have a positive impression of Akin.
Todd Akin on Jacko report
[…] Rove and Republicans including Mitt Romney, the party’s presidential nominee, have called on Akin to leave the race to unseat Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill after his August 19, but Akin is currently leading in the polls. […]