Poll: GOP senators lead in 3 battleground states; Pennsylvania race tied

Republican senators are running ahead of their Democratic challengers in Florida, North Carolina and Ohio, but the Pennsylvania race is basically tied, according to a new poll of likely voters.

Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey had a 1-point lead over Katie McGinty (46%-45%) in Pennsylvania, but that is well within the margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, according to the Quinnipiac University poll released Friday.

The only GOP senator with a double-digit lead was Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, who was ahead of former Gov. Ted Strickland by 51% to 40%.

In Florida, Sen. Marco Rubio was leading Rep. Patrick Murphy by 7 points, 50%-43%. Rubio initially opted out of the race to run for the Republican nomination for president, but he decided to run for re-election after losing the presidential primary to Donald Trump.

North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr led Democrat Deborah Ross by 6 points (49%-43%) in a race that has become closer than expected.

The university conducted three of the statewide polls Aug. 29-Sept. 7. The North Carolina poll included 751 likely voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. In Ohio, 775 likely voters were polled. That poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 points. In Pennsylvania, the poll of 778 likely voters had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 points. The Florida poll was conducted Aug. 31-Sept. 7 of 601 likely voters. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 points.