Two polls released this week but Democrat Fred DuVal down, but not out, against Republican Doug Ducey in the race for Arizona governor.
One poll puts DuVal down 1 percentage point, and the other puts him down 5 percentage points, which, in current times, qualifies as good news for a Democrat running for governor in Arizona. Remember that just four years ago, Terry Goddard lost the election to Governor Jan Brewer by 12 percentage points.
"I believe what this [poll] tells us is that folks believe Arizona is headed in the wrong direction and they're looking for change," DuVal tells New Times.
See also: -October 10: Ducey Up 10 Percentage Points on DuVal
Several polls taken around the primary election in late August showed a tie between Ducey and DuVal, but since then, most of the results have gone in Ducey's favor.
One poll from earlier this month put Ducey up 10 percentage points, 47 percent to 37 percent.
These two new polls show a closer race now two weeks out from the election.
The poll from McLaughlin & Associates -- a firm that does political work for Republicans -- put Ducey at 37.0 percent, DuVal at 35.8 percent, with an additional 21 percent undecided.
According to those poll results, the same people who put Ducey and DuVal in a virtual dead heat disapproved of President Obama's job performance by a 57-39 margin, and favored Republican Mark Brnovich over Democrat Felecia Rotellini by a 38-31 margin.
The other poll is from Rasmussen Reports, which put Ducey at 47 percent, and DuVal at 42 percent. Seven percent were still undecided in that one.
Although both of these polls show DuVal trailing Ducey, he sees them both as good news.
"I'm surging in the right time in the right way," he says.
DuVal added that he's been pleasantly surprised by the number of Republicans turning out to his events as he tours the state, leading up to Election Day.
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