Poll: Pryor leads Cotton by 1 in Arkansas

Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) has a 1-point lead over Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), according to a new poll from Public Policy Polling.

{mosads}Pryor draws 43 percent, with 42 percent backing Cotton, according to the automated poll from the liberal firm.

It’s the latest in a string of polls that show a tight race in the heavily conservative state.

Both candidates have been hammered on the airwaves by outside groups, and the poll shows neither is popular. Pryor’s approval rating is 38 percent with 46 percent disapproving, while Cotton is at 37 percent approval with 42 percent disapproving.

President Obama is an albatross around Pryor’s neck — his approval rating is 33 percent with 61 percent disapproving. But Democratic groups have been hammering Cotton for his more hardline conservative votes, and that could be what’s keeping the race close.

The automated poll of 840 registered voters with an Internet oversample for those without landlines was conducted from April 25 through 27 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent.