Rasmussen: Obama has edge on McCain in Nevada

A Rasmussen poll released Thursday shows the Democratic Party's presumptive presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), with a 2-point advantage over his Republican counterpart, U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

According to the poll, 42 percent of respondents to a telephone survey said they favored Obama, while 40 percent expressed support for McCain.

McCain led in each of the last three polls conducted in Nevada, so while Obama's lead is slim, it does represent a step forward for his campaign in a state long considered solidly Republican.

With so-called "leaners," — voters who are unsure of their vote but have a inclination one way or the other — taken into consideration, Obama leads 47 percent to 45 percent, the poll said.

Rasmussen's last poll in Nevada — conducted a month ago — showed McCain with 45 percent support to Obama's 42 percent.

The Nevada Secretary of State's office reported earlier this month that registered Democrats now represented a majority of the state's registered voters, a stark reversal from 2004, when President Bush captured the state in the general election.

The poll was the first conducted by Rasmussen in Nevada since Obama's apparent victory over U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) for the Democratic nomination.