A new Boston Globe/Suffolk University poll shows Republican Allan Fung with an eight-point lead over Democrat Seth Magaziner in the fight for an open seat in Rhode Island’s Second Congressional District. The race could be tighter since the margin of error in this portion of the poll is almost five percentage points.
However, in what may be a warning sign for Magaziner’s campaign, the poll found that 52% of respondents in Rhode Island — a reliably Democratic state in presidential elections — disapprove of President Joe Biden’s job performance. By contrast, Biden’s approval rate stands at 40%.
Last week, a WPRI/Roger William University poll showed Fung with a six-point edge over Magaziner. The margin of error in that matchup was 6.2 percentage points.
The Globe/Suffolk poll comes just under one month before Election Day and one day after former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — who campaigned for Fung in Johnston during his first run for governor in 2014 — returned to the Ocean State to stump for the former Cranston mayor. Magaziner’s campaign responded by calling Christie an extreme Republican.
The poll also showed Democratic Gov. Dan McKee leading GOP rival Ashley Kalus 46% to 36%, with 14% undecided and three independents trailing in the low single digits. The statewide portion of the poll has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.
The poll was conducted Oct. 1-4 and is based on phone interviews with 800 likely voters.
More than 44% of respondents cited the cost of living as their biggest concern, compared with abortion rights at 15%, and education 13%.
About 35% of respondents say Rhode Island is headed in the right direction, while 48% say the state is on the wrong track.
McKee’s approval rating stands at 46% in the poll, compared with a 38% disapproval rating.
Ian Donnis can be reached at idonnis@ripr.org. You follow him on Twitter @IanDon.
