Rasmussen Poll: Dayton and Franken lead GOP rivals

Rasmussen Reports has two polls out this week that show DFL Gov. Mark Dayton and DFL Sen. Al Franken leading their Republican rivals.

The poll, which surveyed 750 likely voters in Minnesota on August 13 and 14, found that Franken leads Republican nominee Mike McFadden by 8  percentage points. The poll found that Franken received support from 50 percent of those polled. McFadden received support from 42 percent. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.

The poll also found that Dayton is leading Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson by 8 points. Dayton had 49 percent support while Johnson had 41 percent.

The poll was in the field just one day after last week's primary election. Johnson defeated three other Republicans to win the nomination. McFadden defeated two other GOP candidates. Franken and Dayton faced token opposition and won their races by wide margins.

Both races are expected to be competitive heading into the November election.

Democrats have long argued that Rasmussen is a polling firm that favors Republican candidates.

An analysis by Fordham University's Political Science Department found that Rasmussen was among the least accurate polling firms during the 2012 presidential election but fared better in 2008.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.