President Obama’s unpopularity in Alaska may be weighing down Democrat Mark Begich’s bid to win a second term in the U.S. Senate, a new poll suggests.
A new Public Policy Polling survey in Alaska shows Begich two points behind Republican challenger Dan Sullivan. The two are now statistically tied at 43 percent to 41 percent in one of the most competitive Senate races this year. Five percent are undecided.
Sullivan has picked up six points since an early August PPP poll, while Begich has dropped two points.
The polling firm said Sullivan’s gains come from Republicans consolidating their support behind him in the wake of his August primary win, but PPP also cites Obama’s low job approval rating in Alaska.
The survey found that only 40 percent of voters approve of the job Obama is doing, compared with 56 percent who disapprove.
The poll found that Begich has a negative approval rating, too, with 42 percent in favor of his job performance and 51 percent against it.
Sullivan, the state’s former attorney general, appears to have recovered from a negative eight point approval rating in August, with 44 percent now in approval and 42 percent registering disapproval.
