Politicking is picking up in the governor’s race between Republican Dr. Robert Bentley and Democrat Ron Sparks.

Both camps have gotten over the summer lag and from the statements issued in the last few days have begun the final charge leading up to the November election.

Late Friday afternoon, Rasmussen Reports, an electronic media company specializing in polling information, gave the edge so far to Bentley.

A telephone survey of likely voters in Alabama finds Bentley with 58 percent support. Sparks has 34 percent of the vote. Three percent prefer another candidate and about 5 percent are undecided.

The Bentley edge isn’t necessarily a surprise. Bentley held a 55 percent to 35 percent lead last month. Since the primaries, Sparks has held pretty steady at 31-37 percent.

What’s most interesting about this poll: Bentley is favored by 84 percent of Republicans and 78 percent of Democrats say they’re for Sparks. But among those who don’t claim a party — the crew to grab — Bentley has the edge with a 72 percent to 16 percent margin.

In the coming weeks, it will be interesting to see how Sparks spins his campaign to try to steal some of that “outer-party” support held by Bentley.