MEMORANDUM

TO:
FROM:
DATE:
RE:

MINNESOTA REPUBLICAN PARTY

ROBERT BLIZZARD PUBLIC OPINION STRATEGIES
OCTOBER 9, 2014
RECENT STATEWIDE POLLING RESULTS

As you know, Public Opinion Strategies conducted a statewide survey of 500 likely 2014 Minnesota
voters (margin of error + 4.4%), October 5 7, 2014. The purpose of this memo is to review the key
findings from that survey.

KEY FINDINGS
In the U.S. Senate race, Mike McFadden is now within single digits of Senator Al Franken.
While Senator Franken led Republican Mike McFadden by eleven points in August (38%
McFadden 49% Franken), McFadden has closed that gap considerably over the past six weeks.
In our most recent polling, Frankens lead over McFadden has shrunk to just seven points (39%
McFadden 46% Franken) a lead just outside of the margin of error. Our recent survey results
are pretty similar to recent polling in the last ten days from CBS News/NY Times (Franken +7)
and Rasmussen (Franken +8).
Bottom line this race is still advantage Franken, but the Senators margin has closed over the
past few weeks. And, its pretty clear the recent SurveyUSA/KSTP poll is a big outlier, which
shouldnt be too surprising given their erratic polling in Minnesota which has shown Franken
with leads over the past four months from anywhere between six and 15 points.

PUBLIC OPINION STRATEGIES

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