Public Policy Polling released a poll this morning showing Clarke Tucker narrowly trailing U.S. Rep. French Hill in a hypothetical matchup for the Second Congressional District seat.

The poll found Hill leading Tucker 47-42. Among the 53 percent of voters who are “very excited” to turn out this year, Tucker leads 48-47, a statistical dead heat.

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Take this with a grain of salt, but the race also looks like a toss up if voters are presented information about Hill’s vote for the failed attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act and the GOPs tax cut bill (Hill 45-44 if respondents are so primed).

Hill won re-election easily in 2016 but is considered vulnerable this year, the Democrats’ best shot to pick up a congressional seat in Arkansas.

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The poll comes from a Democratic firm, although according to the FiveThirtyEight website, its results have actually shown a very slight bias toward Republicans (FiveThirtyEight gives the firm a B+ rating)

In a press release, Graham Senor, communications director for the Tucker campaign, stated:

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This poll just reflects what we’re seeing and hearing on the ground every day here in Central Arkansas. Our focus in the next four weeks is on the primary, but this poll shows how excited people are for a possible matchup come November. People are paying attention. In the past year, they have watched their representative go to Washington and vote against the interests of Arkansans and their families. People in Arkansas see that the American Health Care Act would have stripped access to health care from hundreds of thousands of Arkansans, while Clarke spent his time in the state legislature fighting for Arkansans’ access to affordable health care. Folks recognize Clarke’s proven leadership and commitment to Arkansans, and that’s why our campaign has generated so much momentum so quickly.

The poll also found that 77 percent of voters in the district have concerns over Hill’s vote for health care repeal and only 38 percent said they support the tax cut bill or have personally benefited from it.

Before he can challenge Hill, Tucker has to come out on top in the Democratic primary next month. Tucker is the favorite in a crowded field, facing off against teacher and activist Paul Spencer, teacher and activist Gwen Combs, and Jonathan Dunkley, a project manager at the Clinton School of Public Service.

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