Kelly leads Masters by 3 points in Arizona Senate poll

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) currently has a 3-point lead over Republican challenger Blake Masters in his state’s Senate race, according to a new CBS News-YouGov poll. 

The new poll, published Wednesday, found that 51 percent of likely voters surveyed said they’ll support Kelly in November’s midterm election, while 48 percent offered their support for Masters. 

Among respondents who said abortion is a very important issue, Kelly’s lead was significantly wider, with 73 percent saying they will support the incumbent senator compared to 26 percent who said they will support Masters. 

Among those who said immigration is very important, however, Masters, who is backed by former President Trump, has a sizable lead, with 68 percent voicing support for the Republican challenger compared to 31 percent for Kelly. 

The poll also showed a notable gender gap in support for the two candidates: Fifty-eight percent of female respondents said they will support Kelly in the state’s Senate race and 41 percent expressed their support for Masters, while 55 percent of male respondents said they will support Masters compared to 44 percent who said they plan to cast their vote for Kelly.

The contest between Kelly and Masters is considered critical for determining which party controls the Senate. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as “lean Democrat.”

The CBS News-YouGov poll was conducted Sept. 30-Oct. 4 with a total of 1,164 registered voters in Arizona. The poll’s margin of error was 3.8 percentage points.