Mark Dayton leads second poll in two days

Emmer, right, trails again.

Two polls in two days maintain the trend: Democrat Mark Dayton is leading Republican Tom Emmer in the governor's race as Election Day approaches. And these most recent results put Dayton's lead outside the margin of error.

In the most recent, from St. Cloud State University today, 40 percent of likely voters went for Dayton, 30 percent went for Emmer and 19 percent went for Independence Party candidate Tom Horner. The margin or error was +/- 5 percentage points. (Full results here.)

The Star Tribune poll on Sunday gave Dayton a 7 percent lead over Emmer, 41 percent to 34 percent, with Horner at 13 percent. The margin of error there was =/- 3.9 percent.

That's a slight tightening since the Strib's last poll in September, when Dayton led Emmer 39 percent to 30 percent.

Here are the results of other statewide polls so far this year. (Undecided voters make up the balance to reach 100 percent in each hypothetical race):

SCSU, Oct. 25

• Dayton 40 percent
• Emmer 30 percent
• Horner 19 percent

Star Tribune, Oct. 23

• Dayton 41 percent
• Emmer 34 percent
• Horner 13 percent

Rasmussen, Oct. 22

• Dayton 44 percent
• Tom Emmer 41 percent
• Tom Horner 10 percent

KSTP/Survey USA, Oct. 15

• Mark Dayton: 42 percent
• Tom Emmer: 37 percent
• Tom Horner: 14 percent

Rasmussen, Oct. 8

• Dayton 40 percent
• Emmer 38 percent
• Horner 15 percent

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