Democratic Sen. Mark Udall and his challenger, GOP Congressman Cory Gardner, shake hands before taking the stage for a debate Oct. 7 in the auditorium of The Denver Post.
(Photo By Brent Lewis/The Denver Post)
A Democratic polling firm finds Colorado Sen. Mark Udall trailing Republican rival Cory Gardner in a deadlocked U.S. Senate race that is essentially a statistical tie.
Gardner received 46 percent and Udall took 43 percent in a Public Policy Polling survey of likely voters released Tuesday. The edge is within the 3.5 percent margin of error. The other candidates in the race get a combined 5 percent with another 7 percent undecided.
It is the latest poll that show the Republican challenger ahead of the Democratic incumbent.
The governor’s race is even closer, the poll found, with Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper holding a one-point edge, 45 percent to 44 percent, against Republican challenger Bob Beauprez. The other candidates on the ballot get 4 percent with 7 percent undecided.
It is the just the latest poll to indicate the race is a toss-up ahead of the Nov. 4 election.
The polling in both races is receiving plenty of attention given Colorado’s closely watched races but Democrats suggest it may not tell the whole story.
In 2010, when Democratic. Sen. Michael Bennet won his seat, most of the late polls showed him trailing even though he eked out a 0.9 percent win. At this point in the race, Bennet one-point down to Republican Ken Buck.
The latest automated PPP poll surveyed 778 likely voters Thursday through Sunday.
In the Senate race, voters are split on Gardner, 45 percent favorable and 42 percent unfavorable. Udall’s job approval rating is worse than President Barack Obama, the poll found, at 37 percent approval and 52 percent disapproval. (Obama is 41-54, favorable to unfavorable.)
Those who identified their political ideology as moderate are breaking 47-37 toward Udall but the margin among women in the poll is smaller at 46 percent Udall to 42 percent Gardner.
this weekend showing Udall with the advantage but little information about how they were conducted.
The governor’s race is a similar dynamic with Hickenlooper’s disapproval at 49 percent and his approval at 43 percent. Beauprez’s rating is split at 41 percent favorable and 39 percent unfavorable.
Further down the ballot, PPP found Republicans running strong:
Secretary of State: Republican Wayne Williams at 36 percent to 31 percent for Democrat Joe Neguse. The Constitution Party’s Amanda Campbell took 10 percent and another 20 percent are undecided.
Attorney General: Republican Cynthia Coffman at 46 percent to 32 percent for Democrat Don Quick. Libertarian David Williams is at 7 percent with 15 percent undecided.
State Treasurer: Republican Walker Stapleton at 42 percent and Democrat Betsy Markey at 40 percent. Libertarian David Jurist is at 6 percent with 12 percent undecided.
The poll also found the personhood amendment failing 54 percent to 37 percent.
