The latest Arizona presidential poll by Rasmussen Reports shows the home state of Sen. John McCain (R-Phoenix) still in his column, but Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is closing some of the distance.

According to the Rasmussen poll, conducted Oct. 26 among 500 likely Arizona voters, McCain currently tops Obama by a five-point margin, 51 percent to 46 percent - the smallest margin recorded since Rasmussen began conducting head-to-head polling on McCain and Obama in April. McCain's lead is just outside the 4.5 point margin of error.

The results of this survey stand in stark contrast with those taken a month earlier, when Rasmussen showed McCain besting Obama by over 20 points, 59 to 38 percent. Prior to the October poll, the closest Obama had gotten to McCain in Arizona in Rasmussen tracking was when he trailed by nine points at the end of June. 

The new poll comes close on the heels of two other polls released over the weekend - one from pollsters Andrew Myers and Lisa Grove, and another from Zimmerman & Assoc. - that show Obama four and two points behind McCain in Arizona, respectively.

This latest survey adds credence to the growing sense that while McCain will likely carry the state he represents in the U.S. Senate, the race will be closer than most previously anticipated.