PPP's newest Nevada poll finds Barack Obama's lead in the state falling to 4 points at 51-47. He had led by a 52-43 margin in the middle of last month. That five point decline for Obama is consistent with what we've been seeing in most of our national and state level polling since last week's debate.
Romney's seen a big improvement in his favorability rating. The last time we polled on that in August he was at 46/49 in Nevada and now he's improved a net 7 points to 50/46. The good news for Obama is that his own approval, at 49/48, is slightly better than it was in August as well when he was at 48/49. Romney's climb is more about his own image improving than a decline for Obama.
Romney's big gain over the last month has been with white voters, who he's going from leading 52-45 with to 55-42. He's made gains across the party spectrum, notably increasing his crossover support with Democrats from 10% to 16% and cutting Obama's lead with independents from 15 points down to 7 points.
The main groups fueling Obama's continued lead are Hispanics, who give him a 67-32 advantage, and young voters who favor him 67-33.
When Gary Johnson's included he gets 3% and actually takes mostly from Obama, pulling his lead over Romney down to 48/47. That could be something worth keeping an eye on.
In the Senate race Dean Heller holds a small lead over Shelley Berkley with 47% to her 44%. Independent American Party candidate David Lory VanderBeek gets 4%. Nevadans give Heller narrowly positive approval numbers, with 44% of voters happy with the job he's doing to 42% who disapprove. Berkley's suffering from high negatives with just 40% of voters rating her favorably to 51% who have an unfavorable opinion. Heller's winning independents 47-37 and taking 85% of the Republican vote to Berkley's 76% of Democrats.
Harry Reid's approval rating is about where it always is with 44% of voters approving of him to 51% who disapprove. It's 35/58 with independents.
Full results here
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