Some good news today out of Iowa:
Democratic businessman Fred Hubbell heads into Election Day with a narrow lead over Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds among likely voters, a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows.
Forty-six percent of likely voters say they support Hubbell, and 44 percent say they support Reynolds. Two percent say they support Libertarian Jake Porter, and just 2 percent are undecided. The rest refused to answer or say they would vote for someone else.
The poll, which questioned 801 likely Iowa voters from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2, shows that voters are divided over the direction of the state. The outcome of Tuesday's election has broad implications for issues ranging from tax policy to the future of privatized Medicaid and access to mental health care and abortions.
Support for both leading candidates has ticked up slightly since the Register last polled in September, when Hubbell led Reynolds 43 percent to 41 percent. Porter's support declined from 7 percent in September.
“The data suggests these are two quality candidates and that they’re well-matched to their bases,” said J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer and Co., the firm that conducted the poll.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Both candidates have mostly locked up support among their respective bases, with about 90 percent of Republicans and Democrats saying they support their party's nominee. But among independents, Hubbell leads by 6 percentage points over Reynolds, 45 percent to 39 percent.
Hubbell also holds a 13 percentage-point lead among women, 52 percent to 39 percent.
Reynolds, the first female governor of Iowa, leads with men 50 percent to 40 percent.
Let’s make sure the BlueWave hits Iowa hard. Click below to get out the vote for Hubbell and his fellow Iowa Democrats:
Deidre DeJear for Secretary of State
Tim Gannon for Secretary of Agriculture
