Schweikert Up 2 On Mitchell in AZ 05

Republicans are pushing back on recent Democratic polling that shows Rep. Harry Mitchell (D) leading Republican challenger Dave Schweikert in Arizona’s 5th District.

An internal Schweikert campaign poll leaked to Hotline On Call shows Schweikert leading Mitchell by a 45% to 43% margin. The poll was conducted by National Research Inc. on Oct. 5 and 6 and had a margin of error of +/- 4.9%.

Those numbers contrast recent Democratic numbers we’ve seen. The DCCC released an internal poll on Monday that showed Mitchell leading 46% to 39%. That poll was conducted during the same time frame and had the same margin of error. Other recent Democratic polling has also showed the race to be either tied, or with Mitchell holding a slight lead.

The dueling polls illustrate the need for both committees to control the spin cycle this week as important decisions are made about which races are worth spending in and which are already decided. The NRCC and DCCC have already begun shifting TV ad money around based on polls like these.

Despite the Democratic spin, both polls paint a troubling picture for Mitchell’s re-election prospects, given that he’s polling under the 50 percent mark despite being a well-known figure in the district, serving as mayor of Tempe for over a decade.

Arizona is particularly important to the NRCC. The GOP is looking to pick up three seats in the state this year, and Mitchell is a top target.

Click here to read the full story.