A new survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy shows Republican Gov. Matt Bevin and Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear deadlocked in Kentucky's gubernatorial race, with the election just three weeks away.

Mason-Dixon interviewed 625 registered and likely voters from Oct. 10-13 for the poll, which found Bevin and Beshear tied at 46% each.

One percent of respondents indicated they intend to vote for Libertarian candidate John Hicks, while 7% were still undecided.

While more respondents in the poll disapproved of Bevin's performance as governor and had an unfavorable opinion of him, one advantage for Bevin in the closing weeks of the campaign is the 57% approval rating for President Donald Trump — who many expect to visit Kentucky and stump for the governor at least once before Election Day on Nov. 5.

On Tuesday, Trump tweeted that Bevin has his "Complete and Total Endorsement," adding that the governor "has done a wonderful job for the people of Kentucky" and "is Strong on Crime and the Border."

Trump endorses Bevin:He's 'done a wonderful job for the people of Kentucky'

Brad Coker, the CEO of Mason-Dixon, told The Courier Journal that challengers like Beshear usually have a slight advantage over incumbents in close races, as incumbents have "a bit of a ceiling" because of their record.

However, Coker says, the expected presence of Trump in the state may change that dynamic.

"I suspect Trump will be in (Kentucky) and he'll be beating the drums for Bevin," Coker said. "So, in a state like Kentucky, I'd rather have Trump with me than against me."

Coker noted that Trump held a rally for the Republican candidates for governor in Louisiana on the eve of the election there last week, helping to keep Democratic incumbent Gov. John Bel Edwards under 50% of the vote and force a runoff election next month.

The release of the new poll numbers ends the dearth of independent polling in the race for Kentucky governor. There has been only one survey by an independent firm since Mason-Dixon last surveyed the race in December 2018. That Mason-Dixon poll showed Beshear beating Bevin 48% to 40% in a hypothetical matchup.

The new Mason-Dixon survey finds Bevin has been able to pull even with Beshear since its last poll by increasing his support among Republican respondents to 77%, while now pulling in 22% of Democrats.

Though more respondents still disapprove than approve of Bevin's performance as governor, his approval rating increased from 38% to 45% in the new poll, with his disapproval rating shrinking from 53% to 48%.

Of the survey respondents who recognized Beshear's name, 37% had a favorable opinion of the attorney general, while 35% had an unfavorable opinion and 25% had a neutral opinion.

See also:Sarah Huckabee Sanders, US congressman stump for Bevin

Of those recognizing Bevin, 42% had an unfavorable opinion of the governor, while 36% had a favorable opinion. While many view Bevin as a polarizing figure, 20% of respondents who recognized Bevin still had a neutral opinion of him.

Only 3% of survey respondents recognized and had a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Hicks, with 81% not recognizing his name.

The Mason-Dixon poll found Beshear to have his strongest support centered in the urban areas of Louisville and Lexington. Beshear had a 56% to 33% lead over Bevin in Jefferson County and seven surrounding counties, in addition to a 53% to 39% lead in the Central Kentucky counties of the 6th Congressional District.

While Bevin struggled significantly in Eastern Kentucky in the Republican primary this year, the poll shows he still has a lead of 18 percentage points over Beshear in that region. Bevin also leads Beshear 54% to 39% in Western Kentucky and by a more narrow 47% to 45% margin in 10 Northern Kentucky counties.

Men favored Bevin over Beshear in the poll by 51% to 43%, while women supported the attorney general over the incumbent governor by a 49% to 41% margin.

Those younger than 50 supported Beshear 50% to 41% over Bevin, while those over 50 favored Bevin by 7 percentage points.

Both candidates had the support of over 70% of respondents in their party, while independent respondents supported Beshear over Bevin by 46% to 38%.

Related:What do Bevin's and Beshear's latest campaign finance reports show?

Bevin has made a concerted push to bring the possible impeachment of Trump into the campaign news cycles, and the Mason-Dixon poll shows evidence that most agree with the governor's stance against such a move by Congress.

Only 29% of respondents say they favor the impeachment of Trump and his removal from office, while 65% oppose such actions. Even in Louisville and its surrounding counties, 50% of respondents oppose the president's impeachment and removal, while 78% Eastern Kentucky respondents oppose Trump's removal.

Trump has an approval rating of more than 50% in all categories except for the Louisville Metro region and among Democratic and independent respondents. Though below 50%, the poll still indicates that a sizable 34% of Democrats approve of the president's performance.

Reach reporter Joe Sonka at jsonka@courierjournal.com or 502-582-4472 and follow him on Twitter at @joesonka. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courierjournal.com/subscribe.