Election Central: Media Polls In Top Races

Roby Brock with Talk Business and Politics delivers Monday’s Election Central Daily Brief.

NBC/MARIST, CBS/NEW YORK TIMES POLLS
Two new media polls in the U.S. Senate and Arkansas Governor’s races show Republicans with leads.  An NBC/Marist poll shows Tom Cotton with a 45-40% lead among likely voters over his Democratic rival Sen. Mark Pryor, while a CBS/New York Times poll shows Cotton with a 43-39% lead over Pryor. Republican Asa Hutchinson with a 48-39% lead in the NBC poll over rival Mike Ross. 

DPA TAGS HILL ON MINIMUM WAGE
We saw a number of Republicans come out in support of the minimum wage late last week, beginning with our first report of Asa Hutchinson saying he’d vote for the ballot proposal to raise the minimum wage to $8.50. Senate hopeful Tom Cotton also expressed his support for the measure.

The Democratic party tagging Second District Republican French Hill today for his comments on the subject. Hill told the Democrat Gazette this weekend, through a spokesman, that he “will vote for the Arkansas minimum-wage increase if he can ensure it doesn’t negatively impact Arkansas jobs.” Earlier this year, Hill told KUAR radio, “I’m not in favor of increasing the minimum wage.” Hill faces Democrat Pat Hays this fall.

Hill also rolled out his first new TV ad of the general election. It’s a significant broadcast and cable buy that spotlights one of his banking clients, Pastor Tom Mitchell. Watch the ad here.


IMMIGRATION IN THE FOURTH
Fourth District Republican Congressional candidate Westerman issuing a statement today that he thinks the President is playing “pure politics” with the issue of immigration.

“There is never a right time to bypass Congress, but President Obama is playing pure politics with this decision,” said Westerman after the President announced this weekend he’d push for immigration reform after the November elections.  

Westerman faces Democrat James Lee Witt whose spokesman says he supports the McCain immigration reform bill, which calls for securing the borders first and eventually allowing undocumented immigrants a path to legalized residence after they’ve learned English, paid back taxes and fines, and passed a citizenship course.

FIRST DISTRICT FIGHT
Late this afternoon, Heber Springs Mayor Jackie McPherson, the Democrat running for First District Congress, challenged Republican Rep. Rick Crawford to a public debate on veteran’s issues. A letter was hand-delivered to Congressman Crawford’s office this afternoon.

Crawford responded late in the day.