The latest Rasmussen Reports election survey shows State Attorney General Mike Beebe leading Republican Asa Hutchinson 49% to 41% in Arkansas’ gubernatorial race (see crosstabs). Beebe’s lead was 10 points earlier this month. In September, Beebe was up 11 points.

The Democrat has held a consistent lead throughout 2006.

Both candidates are maintaining strong “very favorable” scores—26% give that rating to Hutchinson and 30% say the same of Beebe.

Outgoing Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) is faring much better among voters than President Bush. Fifty-seven percent (57%) have favorable impressions of Huckabee and 44% say the same of the president.

Seventy-six percent (76%) of voters report following the news about former Congressman Mark Foley closely with slightly more than one-third (36%) reporting following the story “very closely.” A slim majority of Arkansas voters (51%) says the Foley story will impact their votes in November; 46% say the situation will not be a factor in their ballot decisions.

Forty-six percent (46%) say inappropriate relationships between Congressmen and their staff members are common. Another solid plurality (46%) rates the Republican leadership’s handling of the Foley situation as “poor”, yet when asked how Democrats would have fared had Foley been a Democrat, 49% say “about the same.”

Ninety-one percent (91%) of Arkansas voters say they’re following the news about North Korea’s nuclear developments closely and 82% say the situation will be an important influence in their voting decisions this fall.

Fifty-five percent (55%) of voters consider the North Korean nuclear situation as entirely separate from the War on Terror. Twenty-seven percent (27%) say the two are linked.

By a single percentage point, Arkansas voters give terrorists the edge in the War on Terror over the United States and its allies (35% to 34%.) Twenty-three percent (23%) say neither side has the advantage.

Crosstabs are available for Premium Members only.