Mark Dayton barely leads latest Rasmussen poll

Dayton leads another poll, but not by much.

Rasmussen Reports is out this morning with a poll that shows Democrat Mark Dayton leading the race for Minnesota governor, but the margin is so close it may as well be a tie.

A Sept. 24 Rasmussen survey that gave Republican Tom Emmer a hair's breadth 42 percent to 41 percent lead over Dayton.

As before, Independent Tom Horner brought up the rear, this time with 15 percent.

Rasmussen still calls the race a toss-up.

Thirty-eight percent of Minnesotans in the poll say economic conditions are getting better, and most of those optimists support Dayton. Thirty-seven percent say things are getting worse, and most of those folks support Emmer.

And, despite all the air time, ink and pixels devoted to the tea party movement, it's clearly a loud minority. Just 17 percent of those surveyed consider themselves to be part of the Tea Party movement; most of them favor Emmer.

The poll has a +/- 4 percentage margin of error. Read the whole Rasmussen report here.

Here are the results of statewide polls so far (undecideds make up the balance to reach 100 percent in each hypothetical race):

MPR/Humphrey Institute, Sept. 29

• Dayton 38 percent
• Emmer 27 percent
• Horner 16 percent

Star Tribune, Sept. 26

• Dayton 39 percent
• Emmer 30 percent
• Horner 18 percent

Rasmussen, Sept. 24

• Emmer 42 percent
• Dayton 41 percent
• Horner 9 percent

KSTP/SurveyUSA, Sept. 15

• Dayton 38 percent
• Emmer 36 percent
• Horner 18 percent

MPR/Humphrey Institute, Aug. 31

• Dayton 34 percent
• Emmer 34 percent
• Horner, 13 percent

The following polls took place before the nominating conventions:

KSTP/SurveyUSA, Aug. 5

• Dayton 46 percent, Emmer 32 percent, Horner 9 percent
• Kelliher 39 percent, Emmer 33 percent, Horner 12 percent
• Entenza 38 percent, Emmer 33 percent, Horner 12 percent

Star Tribune, Aug 1:

• Dayton 40 percent, Emmer 30 percent, Horner 13 percent
• Kelliher 38 percent, Emmer 29 percent, Horner 13 percent
• Entenza 36 percent, Emmer 31 percent, Horner 15 percent

Fox 9/Rasmussen, July 19:

• Dayton 40 percent, Emmer 36 percent, Horner 10 percent
• Kelliher 40 percent, Emmer 35 percent, Horner 11 percent
• Entenza 37 percent, Emmer 36 percent, Horner 12 percent

Decision Resources, June 8:

• Dayton 40 percent, Emmer 28 percent, Horner 18 percent
• Kelliher 38 percent, Emmer 28 percent, Horner 17 percent
• Entenza 34 percent, Emmer 27 percent, Horner 19 percent