MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- As the contentious Republican primary race for U.S. Senate enters its final days, the candidates and independent groups are blanketing the airwaves with millions of dollars in mostly negative ads as part of a final push to sway voters.

A new Marquette University Law School poll released Wednesday shows Tommy Thompson's lead has now shrunk to where it's within the margin of error.

The poll shows Thompson with 28 percent compared with 20 percent for Eric Hovde and 18 percent for Mark Neumann. Jeff Fitzgerald was last at 13 percent while 21 percent are undecided.

The margin of error is 4.4 percentage points.

The poll of 519 likely voters in Tuesday's primary was done between Aug. 2 and Sunday.
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LA CROSSE (WEAU)- An increasingly intense senate primary fight in Wisconsin is too close to call.

With polls showing three candidates, Tommy Thompson, Mark Neumann, and Eric Hovde neck in neck as it gets down to the final week before the big vote. 4th candidate Jeff Fitzgerald is still in the race, but trailing behind.

A month ago many people presumed that Tommy Thompson would easily secure the republican nomination for the Senate. Today it’s Hovde who has a small lead according to public policy polling.

“I’m an outsider and the career politicians try to tear you down. I was in the lead, but not by much,” said Eric Hovde while he was on the Charlie Sykes Show.

Thompson is being blown out of the water money wise by Hovde, but Thompson says it’s his well known name that will secure the win.

“I’m being out spent 6-1 by Hovde, but people know me. 88 percent of Wisconsin knows me,” said Thompson.

Former congressman Mark Neumann said it will take more than a name to win this race. Neumann is being backed by the tea party, and believes that their vote will secure his victory.

“Tea party people really get into the details, and it’s going to take more than a name to get the tea parties vote,” said Neumann.

The campaign ads have been getting nasty, and Hovde said today that he had no choice in the matter.

“It wasn’t until the 3 or 4th negative ad that I had to start fighting back,” Hovde told Charlie Sykes.

There isn’t expected to be a huge voter turn out next week for the republican primary. Wisconsin has seen its fair share of political fighting already this year and voters are burnt out. Thompson says the fact that not many are expected at the polls means it’s anyones game.