Idaho GOP Gov. Butch Otter's lead over Democrat Keith Allred has slipped to 11 percentage points, according to a poll commissioned by the Idaho Hospital Association by Republican pollster Greg Strimple.
Otter led 47 percent to 36 percent, the first time his support has dropped below 50 percent in polls that have become public.
The poll of 400 likely voters was conducted July 29 by GS Strategy Group, which has an office in Boise. Strimple has worked on various Republican campaigns across the country. The poll says there is a 95 percent chance that the sampling error falls within a range of plus of minus 4.9 percent.
A smaller sample in the 1st Congressional District put incumbent Democrat Walt Minnick ahead of Republican Raul Labrador by 23 percentage points.
http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2010/08/18/idahopolitics/otters_lead_over_allred_shrinks_new_independent_poll