Schmitt holds double-digit lead in Missouri Senate race: poll

Republican Senate candidate Eric Schmitt holds a double-digit lead over Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine one week out from the midterms, according to a survey from Emerson College Polling and The Hill released Tuesday. 

Fifty-one percent of likely voters said they supported Schmitt, while 39 percent backed Valentine in the poll. Six percent said they were undecided. 

Additionally, Schmitt also leads in favorability. Fifty-four percent of voters said they have a favorable view of Schmitt, while 37 percent said they have an unfavorable view of the Republican. Forty-two percent said they have a favorable view of Busch Valentine while another 42 percent said they have an unfavorable view of her.

Sixteen percent said they were unsure or did not have an opinion of Busch Valentine, while 9 percent said the same about Schmitt. 

The state’s Senate seat has been widely seen as reliably red for Republicans this election cycle. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as “solid Republican,” while the RealClearPolitics polling average shows Schmitt leading Busch Valentine by 10.3 points. 

The same Emerson College Polling-The Hill survey shows that President Biden’s approval rating in the state likely isn’t helping Busch Valentine. Sixty percent of Missouri voters said they disapproved of the job Biden was doing, while only 35 percent said they approved. 

The Emerson College Polling-The Hill survey was conducted Oct. 26-28 among 1,000 likely voters. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.