Joe Miller, a Republican candidate with strong Tea Party backing, is the favourite to beat Senator Lisa Murkowski, whom he beat earlier on in the Republican primaries and who is now running as an Independent.
The polls are tight between Miller and Murkowski, although the campaign for the third-placed candidate, the Democrat Scott McAdams, is improving – currently they are on 35, 24 and 27 points, respectively.
Miller sparked controversy when, in an interview with ABC News, he said he was against a federal minimum wage. His campaign also attracted controversy when it was revealed that his wife had received unemployment benefits after leaving a job working for Miller while he was a magistrate judge.
Miller has had strong backing from Sarah Palin, the former Alaskan governor and Republican vice-presidential nominee. In fact, some see this Yale alumnus and former soldier as a suitable candidate for a possible throw of the presidential dice in 2016.
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