The final polls of the 2014 election season in Arkansas and Kentucky from Public Policy Polling find Republicans in strong positions to win the open Senate seats in those states on Election Day.
The Louisiana Senate seat held by Democrat Mary Landrieu appears, meanwhile, to be headed for a runoff.
In Arkansas, PPP has Republican Tom Cotton up 49 percent to 41 percent over Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Pryor, with Pryor weighed down by the unpopularity in the state of Democratic President Barack Obama, who is only viewed favorably by 29 percent of Arkansans.
In Kentucky, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell leads Alison Grimes 50 percent to 42 percent, with Libertarian nominee David Patterson at 3 percent. McConnell leads despite a high unfavorable rating, with 50 percent of those surveyed disapproving of his job performance. But a highly negative campaign from both sides has also left Grimes with a 49 percent unfavorable rating herself.
In Louisiana, Landrieu leads a crowded candidate field with 43 percent, to 35 percent for the next candidate, Bill Cassidy. If Landrieu fails to get 50 percent on Election Day, she would have to face the runnerup in a runoff, and the polling on a possible runoff now suggests that Cassidy would have a slight advantage, 48 percent to 47 percent.
More online: www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2014/11/gop-likely-to-win-in-ar-and-ky-louisiana-could-still-be-close.html.