Alaska Senate Race 2014 Polls: Mark Begich, Dan Sullivan Election Could Help Determine US Senate Control
The balance of the U.S. Senate may be in the hands of registered voters in Alaska as The Last Frontier state's senate race is too close to call based on polling data heading into Tuesday's midterm elections.
Based on Public Policy Polling's (PPP) latest survey results, Alaska's U.S. Senate race could go either way between Republican candidate Dan Sullivan and Democratic candidate Mark Begich. With the third party candidates -- Libertarian Mark Fish and non-affiliated Ted Gianoutsos -- Sullivan narrowly won the poll by 1-percentage point. The Republican candidate received 46 percent of the poll, while 45 percent favored Begich. Fish and Gianoutsos each received 2 percent, while 5 percent of respondents were undecided.
If Fish and Gianoutsos were excluded from the election, the 1-percentage point spread would continue between Begich and Sullivan. Sullivan would still win the survey without the third-party candidates with 47 percent, but Begich was not far behind with 46 percent. Meanwhile, 7 percent of the survey's respondents were not sure.
In direct competition, millennial voters, comprising of people between the ages of 18 and 29 in the poll, gave Sullivan a double-digit advantage. Sullivan received 52 percent of the millennial responses, ahead of Begich's 40 percent.
Begich, the incumbent since 2009, received a 50 percent disapproval rating by the PPP survey's respondents. Although 7 percent of Alaskans were not sure how to judge Begich's job performance, 34 percent showed approval for the Democratic incumbent.
Sullivan's unfavorable rating surpassed the favorable rate by a slim margin. Alaskans, with 45 percent, held an unfavorable view of the Republican candidate, while 43 percent were favorable. Twelve percent of respondents were not sure of their views on Sullivan.
The male and female vote differed between the candidates, but both were by narrow margins. Begich won the female vote with 48 percent, but Sullivan was only 2-percentage points behind with 46 percent. Male voters favored Sullivan with 48 percent compared to 44 percent for Begich.
The election comes as PPP disclosed Alaskan respondents' sentiments toward President Barack Obama. The president received a high disapproval rating, based on his job performance, with 58 percent while 34 percent approved. The millennial respondents also gave Obama a high disapproval rating with 64 percent, while 23 percent approved.
Alaskans are also voting to increase the state's minimum wage from $7.75 per hour to $8.75 per hour in 2015, which would further increase to $9.75 per hour by 2016. The ballot measure would also ensure Alaska's minimum wage is always $1 ahead of the national wage. Most Alaskans favored the ballot measure with 62 percent, while 33 percent opposed.
Polling locations in Alaska have opened since 7 a.m., local time, and will close a 8 p.m. Based on early voting in Alaska, Begich reportedly has a lead against Sullivan.
The PPP survey consisted of 1,052 likely voters polled between Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.
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For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com.
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