The slugfest for the open Kansas 2nd District Congressional seat remains tight heading into the final days of the campaign.
The latest results from polling by the New York Times and Siena College showed Democrat Paul Davis with a 41 percent to 37 percent lead over Republican Steve Watkins, with 16 percent of voters still undecided.
The survey of 478 voters, conducted from Oct. 27-29, has a margin of error of 4.9 percent, meaning the totals for each candidate could vary by that much in either direction.
A previous NY Times/Siena poll, conducted in mid-September, showed Davis leading Watkins by 1 percentage point, 45 percent to 44 percent, in the district that covers most of the eastern third of the state.
A survey done by Change Research from Oct. 27-29 showed Watkins with a 45 percent to 44 percent lead over Davis.
All the polls tell the same story: the race is too close to call.
Thats despite a seemingly endless series of allegations raised about Watkins credibility, dating back to the seven-candidate primary he won with only 26 percent of the vote.
Media reports over the past two months have revealed that Watkins lied about his business background and embellished stories about his exploits as an adventurer.
My opponent has been called a liar, a fraud and a rank opportunist by his fellow Republicans, Davis said in a recent debate with Watkins. If Kansans cant trust you to be honest about your past, how can we trust you with our future?
Many of Watkins primary opponents and GOP officials throughout the 2nd District questioned his credibility in the primary, but most have since endorsed him.
In response to media reports, Watkins acknowledged that he had overstated his role in founding an overseas security company and fabricated a story posted to his campaign website that claimed he had provided heroic leadership in response to an earthquake that struck while he was attempting to climb Mount Everest.
But when pressed in the debate by Davis, Watkins backtracked.
Every single one of those allegations is at very best a half-truth, he said. This is why Im running for Congress. If people dont like your policy they go after your character.
On the issues, Davis has criticized Watkins for advocating the privatization of Social Security and means testing benefits. Hes also questioned how Watkins can support protections for people with pre-existing conditions while calling for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, that prohibits insurers from denying coverage.
Steve wants to take us back to an era where insurance companies can discriminate against us because we have a pre-existing condition like cancer or diabetes, Davis said.
