Poll: President Barack Obama, Governor Mitt Romney tied in Arizona

A new poll released this weekend is making some big waves in political circles.

It shows President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in a statistical dead heat here in Arizona.

The central Phoenix firm Behavior Research Center reached out to more than 500 likely voters earlier this month both before and after the first presidential debate.

The results surprised the firm's longtime research director, Earl De Berge, a registered independent.

"Our conclusion is that this is anybody's race," said De Berge. "This is pretty fluid."

42% of those Arizonans surveyed said they'd vote for Barack Obama while 40% supported Mitt Romney .

The poll's margin of error is 4.4%.

The poll's conclusion flies in the face of other polls such as Rasmussen Reports which has Mitt Romney up by 10 points in Arizona.

"I can't give you the answer for that except to say we've been pretty accurate in the past and have seen trends developing before other people have," De Berge said.

Over the lunch hour Monday afternoon in downtown Phoenix, some people seemed inclined to believe the poll.

"I think it's possible," said Richard Gierloff. "You have to look at the whole state. Maricopa County is the most conservative but it's a big state."

Others, however, dismissed it and said Obama has no chance at winning Arizona.

"This is a very red state, period," said Greg Hague. "I don't think the polls are absolutely accurate."

But De Berge stands by his numbers showing the race as neck and neck.

"I'd love to release a poll and say 'this is the way it's going to turn out' but that's not possible this time," De Berge said. "The numbers are just too close."