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Poll: Murkowski Has Large Lead in Alaska Senate Race

Survey conducted before she withdrew support for Trump

A new poll shows that just more than half of Alaska voters have a positive opinion of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)
A new poll shows that just more than half of Alaska voters have a positive opinion of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska holds a 32-point lead over her closest challenger, Libertarian candidate Joe Miller, a new poll found. 

Murkowski has the support of 50 percent of registered voters polled, with Miller a distant second with 18 percent, according to the Alaska Dispatch News poll conducted by Alaska Survey Research. Democrat Ray Metcalfe took 12 percent, independent Margaret Stock 7 percent, and 2 percent supported another candidate. Eleven percent were undecided.

Murkowski lost to Miller in the 2010 Republican primary, but ended up winning the general election through a write-in campaign.

The poll gave Murkowski high favorable ratings with 52 percent of respondents having a “very positive” or “somewhat positive” opinion of her. 

[Roll Call’s 2016 Election Guide: Senate]

The poll was conducted before Murkowski withdrew her support for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump after crass remarks he made about women were leaked on Friday. 

“When I believe somebody is not fit for office, I have to speak up,” Murkowski said.

Alaska Research Survey polled 660 registered voters by cell phones and landlines from Sept. 28 through Oct. 2. The margin of error was 3.8 percentage points. 

The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report/Roll Call rates the race as Safe Republican.

Murkowski’s campaign reported raising roughly $405,000 from July 28 through Sept. 30 and ended the third quarter with just under $1.6 million in the bank. She raised more money from Alaskans than any of her opponents, the campaign said in a news release. 

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