Senate races

Poll: GOP has narrow lead in Ark. Senate

Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has a narrow 2-point lead over Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), according to a new poll conducted for CNN.

{mosads}Cotton leads Pryor 49 percent to 47 percent in the poll, conducted by ORC International, the latest survey to show a tight race in Arkansas.

Polls have found a tight race for months, though Cotton has led in more nonpartisan polls than Pryor has as of late. The race is a top Senate battleground, with both campaigns and outside groups spending millions to define each other and seek the narrowest of edges.

President Obama still looks to be one of the biggest stumbling blocks for Pryor. In the new poll, the president’s approval rating is at a staggering 33 percent. 

While Pryor does lead with most traditionally Democratic groups, including an 8-point edge with women voters, Cotton is making strides with one possibly key subset — the Republican actually leads among white women by 11 points.

The live-caller poll of 523 likely voters was conducted from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2 and has a margin of error of 4.5 percent, making Cotton’s margin within its margin of error.