NATCHEZ — The latest Mason-Dixon poll released today shows that Mississippi gubernatorial candidate Republican Tate Reeves has a slight lead over Democratic candidate Jim Hood.

The general election will be held Nov. 5.

“Statewide, 46% of likely voters support Reeves, while 43% back Hood, 2% support other candidates and 9% are still undecided,” the Mason-Dixon poll reveals.

The poll also shows voters are divided along racial lines.

Hood is leading with 80%-7% among black voters and Reeves is ahead 66%-24% among whites.

“Reeves also leads among men, voters 50-plus and Republicans,” the Mason-Dixon results show. “Hood has the advantage among women, voters under 50, Democrats and independents.”

The poll also indicates President Donald Trump could be a factor in the vote.

“Trump remains popular in Mississippi and efforts by congressional Democrats to impeach him are opposed by a significant majority of state voters,” the Mason-Dixon Poll states. “Statewide, 54% approve of Trump’s job performance as president and 56% are opposed to impeaching him and removing him from office.”

The partisan divide stemming from Washington, the Mason-Dixon Polls states, could hurt Hood in Mississippi.

“(Hood’s) previous success at winning statewide office as a moderate-to-conservative Democrat is faced with a tougher than usual battle,” the poll results state. “The strong leftward drift of Hood’s national party makes it more difficult to generate crossover support.”

The GOP is attempting to nationalize governors’ races in Southern states.

“In Louisiana, Trump’s last minute campaign in that state’s primary helped boost GOP voter turnout and forced popular moderate-to-conservative incumbent Democrat John Bel Edwards into a run-off,” the Mason-Dixon poll results state. “The higher GOP turnout also drove the two leading Republican challengers to a combined vote that exceeded 50%.”

Trump has announced he will visit Mississippi on Nov. 1 to campaign for Reeves just four days before the election.

“. . . if he replicates the impact of his Louisiana performance it should provide Reeves a significant boost,” the Mason-Dixon poll results state.

Statewide results show that 41% of Mississippians recognized Reeves favorably compared to 39% who recognize Hood favorably.

If the election were held today 46% of voters statewide said they would vote for Reeves and 43% said they would vote for Hood, in the poll that was conducted Oct. 17-19. In Southern Mississippi, which includes Adams County, 34% said they would vote for Hood and 53% said they would vote for Reeves.

The poll was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy, Inc. of Jacksonville, Florida, from Oct. 17 through Oct. 19,” the poll states. “A total of 625 registered Mississippi voters were interviewed statewide by telephone. All said they were likely to vote in the November 2019 statewide general election.”