Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter has slipping poll numbers in parts of the state and his supporters should start tearing Republican opponent Bob Beauprez’s “head off,” says a recent memo between two Democratic consultants.
A Monday memo sent from Washington pollster Andrew Myers to Colorado consultant Dominic Delpapa said that Ritter’s poll numbers were dropping in some targeted state House districts and that Myers feared a trend was developing.
He wrote that he was “concerned about the attacks Ritter is enduring and to what extent they are not only energizing Beauprez’s base, but also creating some real doubts among the swing independent voters.”
“To the extent possible, I believe you need to really begin to tear Beauprez’s head off,” he wrote, adding that illegal immigration would be a good place to start since the congressman has “an abysmal record.”
On Thursday, Myers said the poll numbers were only from a small fraction of the state – “one-thirty-fifth.”
He also said that the Beauprez campaign should not put much stock in the numbers.
“If that’s good news to them, then that’s pathetic,” he said.
Delpapa declined to comment. Neither he nor Myers work for Ritter. Myers said his tracking poll results came from work he’s doing for other candidates in the state.
Evan Dreyer, spokesman for Ritter, said he first saw the memo Wednesday.
“That polling information is completely contrary to every other public and private poll we have seen,” he said. “In fact, people are gravitating to Bill because they like his style and he has a real plan to lead Colorado.”
John Marshall, campaign spokesman for Beauprez, said the memo shows that voters are getting to know Ritter, the former Denver district attorney, and don’t like what they see.
“As long as he stands by his policy of allowing alien felons to avoid deportation, his poll numbers will continue to sink like a rock,” he said.
Marshall was referring to Ritter’s office’s charging some immigrants accused of drug, assault and other crimes with a nondeportable agricultural trespassing violation.
Staff writer Karen Crummy can be reached at 303-954-1594 or kcrummy@denverpost.com.
