New poll shows Rep. Bachmann’s opponent may be within striking distance

New poll numbers
from Survey USA give Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) a nine-point lead in her
race for reelection. But in a potentially troubling sign for the incumbent, the
poll has Bachmann below 50 percent.

She leads state Sen. Tarryl
Clark (D) 48 percent to 39 percent. 

Third-party candidate Bob
Anderson took 6 percent of the vote, with another independent candidate polling
at 2 percent. Just 5 percent of respondents said they were undecided. The
margin of error is +/- 4.2 percentage points.

Hovering around 50 percent is
nothing new for Bachmann. In 2008, she won with 46 percent of the vote, while a
third-party challenger took 10 percent. And in 2006, Bachmann won her first
race with just 50 percent.

The contest between Bachmann
and Clark is expected to be one of the most expensive congressional races in
the country in 2010. Bachmann just announced a huge fundraising quarter — she
raised $1.7 million in the second quarter.

Clark did her best to keep pace and posted an impressive
$910,000 second quarter. Neither campaign released their cash-on-hand
numbers.