Poll: McCain holds strong lead over challenger

A new poll shows that Republican John McCain holds a strong lead over Democrat Rodney Glassman in Arizona’s U.S. Senate race.

The Rocky Mountain Poll shows that 56 percent of likely voters support McCain, 22 percent back Glassman and 19 percent are undecided.

Libertarian David Nolan captured 2 percent and Green Party candidate Jerry Joslyn had 1 percent.

McCain’s lead is slightly less among the survey’s larger sample of registered voters.

Forty-nine percent of registered voters back McCain, while 21 percent support Glassman and 25 percent remain undecided. Noland pulled in 3 percent, and Joslyn had 2 percent.

The statewide poll of 555 registered voters was conducted by Phoenix-based Behavior Research Center between Oct. 1 and Oct. 10 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.

The sample of 450 likely voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.7 percent.

McCain, who is seeking his fifth term in the Senate, was labeled a vulnerable incumbent early in the primary season but went on to rout challenger J.D. Hayworth, a former six-term congressman from Scottsdale.