Alaska voters split on U.S. Senate race

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, July 7 (UPI) -- Support for U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and her Democrat opponent, former Gov. Tony Knowles, splits almost evenly in the latest KTUU-TV poll.

Murkowski, who was appointed to the seat by her father after he was elected governor in 2002, trailed Knowles, 46 percent to 44 percent in the survey, though the 2 point gap separating the two is well inside the poll's plus or minus 4.4 percent margin of error.

The survey of approximately 500 likely voters was conducted by Democrat pollster Ivan Moore and made public on on July 7.

The poll also showed Murkowski running well ahead of her main opponent in the Aug. 24 GOP primary, former Alaska Senate President Mike Miller. Murkowski led Miller 66 percent to 23, with former U.S. Attorney Wev Shea in third place behind the undecideds at 4 percent.