A former Republican state delegate has a wafer-thin lead in the 6th District race for Congress, although he trails in the most densely populated portions of the district, a poll out Thursday shows.

Republican Neil Parrott has a 41%-39% edge over Democrat April McClain Delaney if the general election were held today, according to Gonzales Research & Media Services. The 2-point gap is well within the margin of error.

Polls and pundits have been predicting the Western Maryland district would be one of the state’s tightest races since lawmakers revised its borders to even out the numbers of Republicans and Democrats. The new district excised portions of the Democratic-heavy D.C. suburbs.

The poll showed that split is still reflected in voters’ preferences. Parrott and McClain Delaney divvied up the counties within the district and that could play a role in the outcome this fall, pollsters said.

Forty percent of district voters are in Frederick County. McClain Delaney, who worked as a telecommunications lawyer in the Biden administration’s Commerce Department, has 44% of voters polled there to Parrott’s 29%. She has an even bigger majority in Montgomery County, with 61%.

Parrott, who represented Washington County in the General Assembly for over a decade, has a sizable lead over McClain Delaney in Washington, Allegany and Garrett counties, 75%-15%.

He fared slightly better with unaffiliated voters, 34% to McClain Delaney’s 31%. Twenty percent of those polled reported they were still undecided.

The House seat was vacated by U.S. Rep David Trone, who decided to run for an open U.S. Senate seat this year. He lost to Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks in the primary. Alsobrooks faces former Gov. Larry Hogan in the general election.

The 6th District poll was conducted by Gonzales Research & Media Services between Aug. 24 and Aug. 31. Pollsters surveyed 317 registered voters who are likely to vote in the general election. Voters were interviewed by landline and cellphone. The results showed a 5.6 percentage point margin of error.