Republican Heather Wilson had a tough time keeping her Albuquerque-based seat in 2006, and a new poll suggests the GOP nominee to replace her will face more of a challenge.

The poll, conducted by Research & Polling Inc. for the Albuquerque Journal, surveyed 400 likely voters between 9/29-10/2 for a margin of error of +/- 4.9%. Albuquerque City Councilman Martin Heinrich, the Democrat, and Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White, the Republican, were tested.

General Election Matchup
(All / Dem / GOP / Ind / Wht / His)
Heinrich........43 / 65 / 11 / 47 / 38 / 51
White...........41 / 18 / 75 / 31 / 47 / 32

Despite his more fragmented base, Heinrich's lead among Hispanic voters, who make up 43% of the district, could put him over the top. That would be an impressive feat after Heinrich, who is white, beat several Hispanic-surnamed candidates in his primary election.