JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A new poll shows little change in the race for Missouri’s U.S. Senate seat but gives a slight edge to incumbent Claire McCaskill when third-party candidacies are factored in.
According to the latest NBC News-Marist Poll, conducted with 774 registered voters during Aug. 25-28, McCaskill and Republican Josh Hawley are neck and neck at 47 percent each. But when Libertarian candidate Japeth Campbell and Green Party candidate Jo Crain are factored into the question, McCaskill takes a 4-point lead over Hawley, who drops to 40 percent of those polled. (McCaskill 44, Hawley, 40, Campbell 5, Crain 3, with the rest undecided – Independent candidate Craig O’Dear was not included in the polling answers.)
Of those polled, however, roughly only half said they strongly felt they would continue to support their chosen candidate on Election Day. When asked how they felt about the candidates, 4 1 percent reported a favorable sentiment to McCaskill, while 49 percent felt unfavorable. Hawley finished with 36 on either side of the spectrum, with 28 percent saying they were unsure or had not formed an opinion or heard of him, compared to McCaskill’s 10 percent.
The poll also asked which issues would play an important part in deciding the vote, to which those polled responded that health care and the economy would be the most important factors.
The poll also asked Missourians about their feelings toward President Donald Trump, who seems to carry a 45 percent approval (46 percent disapproval) rating among likely Missouri voters.
The President’s imposition of tariffs and his work concerning trade agreements with other countries was also questioned by those polled. 28 percent said they thought it would protect American jobs and help the economy, while 45 percent said they believed it would raise the costs of consumer goods and hurt the economy.
The likely voters in the poll also gave a one-point edge to Republicans in the coming election, with Democrats getting 42 percent and Republicans receiving 43 percent.
View the full results below:
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Benjamin Peters was a reporter for The Missouri Times and Missouri Times Magazine and also produced the #MoLeg Podcast. He joined The Missouri Times in 2016 after working as a sports editor and TV news producer in mid-Missouri. Benjamin is a graduate of Missouri State University in Springfield.
