Democrat Bruce Braley and Republican Joni Ernst are tied at 40 percent each with 15 percent undecided in a Suffolk/USA Today poll of one of the races that could determine control of the U.S. Senate. The telephone poll of 500 likely voters has a margin of error of +/-4.4 points. Braley leads by large margins among voters interested in jobs, health care and education. Ernst recorded similarly large margins among voters interested in the budget and national security.
A Public Policy Polling survey conducted at nearly the same time as the Suffolk poll has Braley ahead, 41-40. Pollster says its tracking model has Braley leading by roughly 1 point. Braley and Ernst are running for the seat being by Democrat Tom Harkin, a Senate Agriculture Committee member.