New Poll Spells Bad News for Longtime Dem Senator

This week, a new poll showed that the U.S. Democratic incumbent Sen. Patty Murray and her opponent, Republican Tiffany Smiley, are neck-and-neck in Washington’s Senate contest.

According to a survey conducted on 1,200 potential voters and released on Saturday by The Trafalgar Group, Murray is supported by 49.4% of them, while Smiley is favored by 48.2%. The poll has a 2.9 percentage point margin of error. Fewer than 3% of voters declared themselves to be unsure.

According to political affiliation, 44.2 percent of respondents identified as Democrats, 33.4 percent as Republicans, and 22.4 percent as not affiliated with any party.

Men made up 46.9% of survey participants, while women made up 53.1%. More than 80% of them were Caucasian.

Murray’s first election to the Senate was in 1992. According to a report that the New York Times published on Thursday, Murray is up against a strong challenge from Smiley.

The Times was informed by Murray that Democrats must cast ballots. According to the report, she has been attempting to prevent her party from becoming complacent.

Up until this month, Democrats reportedly thought Washington was a safe Democratic seat. Elizabeth Warren, a senator from Massachusetts, and vice president Kamala Harris both seemed to gather support for the incumbent.

Despite the fact that abortion is not a top concern for people, Murray has made it a central part of her campaign.

Small business owner Angela Dabb, who is backing Smiley, told the Times that Smiley is likely the only candidate in the state capable of defeating Patty Murray.