A poll released Thursday shows that Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner are in "nearly a deadheat." 

The poll of 1,003 likely voters showed that 46 percent of respondents would vote of Rauner, while 42 percent of respondents said they would opt for Quinn. Eight percent of the respondents were undecided. The poll was conducted July 17 through July 22 and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.1 percent. The poll was conducted by Harstad Strategic Research.

“This poll is much closer, and it’s a lot more extensive. This reflects what we believed consistently: that this is a very, very close race and will continue to be so,” said Charlie McBarron, spokesman for the Illinois Education Association (IEA), which commissioned the poll. The IEA recommended Quinn for re-election earlier this week. Read more on the poll findings here.

The most recent poll findings come after a recent survey showed Rauner to have a double digit lead over Quinn. A poll, commissioned by Reboot Illinois, released earlier this week found Rauner to have a 14 percent lead over the sitting governor. The poll was conducted by We Ask America, which is a division of Xpress Professional Service Inc., a subsidiary of the Illinois Manufacturer's Association — a top Rauner donor.

“I think the 14-point poll is an outlier, to say the least,” McBarron said of the We Ask America poll.

Meanwhile, Politico has moved the Illinois gubernatorial race from toss up status to leans Republican.