With election day only a month and a half away, Gov. Deval Patrick is struggling to hold onto a slim lead over Republican Charlie Baker, a Rasmussen Reports poll released Friday said.
The report, which was conducted on Sept. 15 and included 500 likely voters in Massachusetts, showed Patrick with 45 percent support, Baker with 42 percent and independent candidate Tim Cahill with only five percent support, if voters who are "leaning" toward one candidate are included.
Two percent of voters are still undecided, the poll showed. If leaners are not included, Patrick garners 42 percent of the vote, while Baker earns 38 percent and Cahill 11 percent.
Previously, a Sept. 3 Rasmussen poll showed Patrick at 39 percent support, Baker at 34 percent and Cahill at 18 percent.
The race in the Bay State is now considered a "Toss-Up" &- as opposed to "Leans Democrat" as it had previously been &- on the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Gubernatorial Scorecard.
"As the race gets closer, people are making up their minds and recognizing that we have the message and the plans to get Massachusetts on the right track to grow jobs and reform Beacon Hill," Baker said in a statement posted on his campaign website.
The next gubernatorial debate is set to take place on Tuesday in Brighton and will be broadcast live on WHDH-TV.
CNN reporter John King will be moderating the debate, which will include Patrick, Baker, Cahill and Jill Stein, the Green-Rainbow Party candidate.
According to the report, 52 percent of voters in Massachusetts have a favorable opinion of Patrick while 50 percent have a favorable opinion of Baker.
Cahill is seen favorably by 40 percent, according to the survey.
The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points at 95 percent confidence.
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