Poll: Ernst gains 7-point edge in Iowa

Iowa state Sen. Joni Ernst (R) leads Rep. Bruce Braley (D) by seven percentage points in a new poll from The Des Moines Register, 

With only three days until Election Day, Ernst has 51 percent support among likely voters to Braley’s 44 percent.

J. Ann Selzer, who conducted the poll for the paper, said Saturday that “this race looks like it’s been decided.”

Ernst, a state senator, is in a tight race against Braley for the seat now held by retiring Sen. Tom Harkin, a Democrat.

She has been ahead in recent polls while Braley has trailed behind since an early October Iowa Poll, where he dropped from 46 percent to 44 percent and Ernst increased her share from 47 percent to 51 percent now.

The poll of 701 likely voters in the 2014 midterm election was conducted Oct. 28-31 by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.