After months of toggling leads, the race for Missouri’s seat in the U.S. Senate between incumbent Republican Sen. Jim Talent and State Auditor Claire McCaskill has now leveled. Results of the latest Rasmussen Reports survey of 500 likely voters show the candidates now tied at 42% with Republicans and Democrats divided evenly along party lines.

This shift marks a percentage point drop for Talent countered by a two point pick up for McCaskill since last month’s poll. The closeness that has become the hallmark of this race has been evident from the start: only once in eight polls have the candidates been more than three percentage points apart.

While the candidates are even in the polls, Talent has a significant fundraising advantage. The latest campaign finance reports show that the incumbent has nearly $5.7 million cash on hand compared to McCaskill’s $2 million.

The candidates continue to battle away, with immigration having emerged as the latest hot button issue. McCaskill’s campaign has accused Talent of being soft on employers who recruit and hire illegal immigrants, suggesting that he’s ignored such practices because some of the employers in question—especially those in the corporate agriculture realm—have made donations to his campaign.

Talent continues to promote his border security plan, which includes stronger penalties for human smuggling and falsifying work documents, and has launched an online petition to allow Missourians to register their support in the fight against amnesty for illegal immigrants.

The Missouri Senate race has emerged as one of the keys to determining control of the U.S. Senate in 2006. It is difficult to imagine a scenario where the Democrats gain control without a victory in Missouri.

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