According to a new survey by the Democratic-affiliated Public Policy Polling, tomorrow's gubernatorial special election in West Virginia is too close to call. Democrat and Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin currently leads Republican Businessman Bill Maloney by just one point (47% - 46%), down from a 6 point lead a month ago and a whopping 33 point lead early in the year.

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The biggest reason for Mr. Maloney's surge? He's winning over Democrats. According to the poll, 24% of West Virginia's Democratic voters now support the Republican; up from 17% last month.

The biggest reason for the biggest reason? As in New York's Ninth Congressional District last month, the Democrat's connection to President Barack Obama is working in the Republican's favor. "Democrats can still win in West Virginia, even if Obama is unpopular, but it makes it a lot harder," said pollster Tom Jensen. "It’s hard for Democrats when you have a president that unpopular."

But even Tomblin campaign spokesman Chris Stadelman acknowledged, "Some people seem to think this race is about 2012 and they're using Bill Maloney to send a message."

Meanwhile at Camp Maloney, the candidate who The Charleston Daily Mail has called "the change agent West Virginia needs" is "ready to move the state forward" according to spokeswoman Michelle Yi.

Can a Republican win in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by an almost 2 to 1 margin? According to Mr. Jensen, “If Maloney wins, the issue for Tomblin isn't that Democrats didn't turn out, it's that a number of Democrats actually voted for Maloney." That just might be a national trend.