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An internal poll released on Thursday by his Democratic challenger shows Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., in a dead heat for reelection to a second term.

Democratic businessman Patrick Murphy's poll showed him and West tied at 45 percent apiece six months before Election Day, with 10 percent of voters undecided in Florida's 18th Congressional District.

Though the 18th District, under Florida's new redistricting map, is mostly new territory for West - he has represented less than one-quarter of its residents in his current seat - the congressman is already well-known there, with an 83 percent name recognition rate. That works in both his and Murphy's favor, though; no one in Congress riles up both parties' bases like West. He and Murphy will wage an expensive battle to swing the outstanding 10 percent over the next six months. West had over $3.3 million in the bank at the last reporting deadline, at the end of March, while Murphy had over $1 million cash on-hand.

The poll was conducted by FrederickPolls for Murphy and surveyed 500 likely voters from May 6-8. The margin of error is plus-or-minus 4.3 percent.