(Radio Iowa) – A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll released this weekend shows Republican Senator Chuck Grassley with a three percent lead over Democratic challenger Mike Franken. The poll of likely voters was taken from October 9th through the 12th. Forty-six percent of those surveyed said they supported Grassley. Forty-three percent said they supported Franken. Seven percent said they were undecided or plan to skip voting on the U.S. Senate race.

Franken was still unknown to about a third of those surveyed and nearly two-thirds said Grassley’s age was a concern. That includes 37 percent of the Republicans questioned, who said they’d vote for the 89 year old senator. Franken, on Twitter, said he’s in a virtual tie with Grassley.

The Iowa G-O-P’s chairman says the Iowa Poll has underestimated the strength of the new Republican coalition.