The leading candidates are Republican Gov. Matt Blunt and Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon. The two are in the middle of their latest political battle as Nixon's office investigates the release of emails sent from the governor's office.

On Friday, an attorney for Blunt's office fired off a stern letter to Nixon blaming him for wasting taxpayer money.

After Nixon announced plans to investigate the governor's office for not releasing emails according to Missouri's Sunshine Law.

The letter sent to Nixon on Friday called his efforts "an appendage of his political campaign."

In the midst of these new poll numbers. It sounds like a pretty hot issue but neither the attorney general's office nor the governor's office wanted to say anything more about it to us. But both the Republican and Democratic parties in Miissouri did.

First, the political battle over who'll work in the governor's office in 2009.

A newly released poll shows Democratic attorney general Jay Nixon has a nine percent edge over Governor Matt Blunt among likely voters if the election were held today.

Missouri Republican party member Paul Sloca said, "We're a year out from the election, it's a small snapshot in time, and the polls are going to be going back and forth, so we don't see it as significant."

The poll says one of the biggest determining factors for voters making a choice is healthcare and most Missourian voters say they don't approve of Blunt's new healthcare plan, MO HealthNet.

That would expand coverage to some, but cut coverage to 90,000 Missourians.

Missouri Democratic party member Jack Cardetti, "The fact that Jay Nixon got more than 50% in the polls show that Nixon has what it takes to get Missourians out of this healthcare crisis, and be our next governor."

And in the middle of these new poll numbers.There's the e-mail war. Blunt's office is upset with Nixon's decision to conduct an independent investigation of whether or not Blunt's e-mails from the governors office should be available to the public.

Blunt's office fired off this letter that said nNxon needs to "explain under what statutory or other authority he is empowered to appoint someone to conduct such an investigation."He ended the letter to Nixon by saying: "It is embarrassing that you have chosen again to use your office to play politics and misuse the taxpayers money."

Again we tried to talk with both sides on this issue and neither the attorney generals office or the governors office would consent to an interview on camera today.

Blunts office says that letter speaks for itself.You can view a copy of the letter sent to Nixon.

Check out the link to the full poll results. As well as our KOMU.comexclusive... What the two major Missouri political parties have to say about their candidates' "unfavorable" ratings as part of that new poll.