U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is up for re-election next year. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
WASHINGTON — Though U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is the only one up for re-election next year, fewer Colorado voters approved of his job performance than Gov. John Hickenlooper, fellow U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner and President Barack Obama, according to a from Quinnipiac University.
Little more than a third of respondents — to the tune of 37 percent — liked what the Democratic lawmaker was doing. That compares to 47 percent and 39 percent for fellow Democrats Hickenlooper and Obama and 45 percent for Gardner, a Republican.
Even fewer said Bennet should be re-elected; 30 percent thought so compared to the 41 percent who said no. But about a third of voters, or 29 percent, were undecided on his re-election bid — giving the incumbent some room to grow (or lose) support as Republicans continue looking for a top-tier GOP challenger.
The numbers represent a in support for Bennet since Quinnipiac University poll released a in July. The latest poll’s margin of error was about three percentage points and it comes with the that regular visitors to The Spot know well.
In addition to the election questions, the survey also asked Colorado voters about issues such as “sexting,” marijuana and gun politics.
Most respondents thought it was a “very serious” or “somewhat serious” problem that young people were sexting — or sending explicit text messages to one another. But 62 percent of the respondents did not consider it was an offense that should get a student expelled from school. Only 20 percent of those polled said minor caught sexting should face criminal charges.
“Coloradoans may think sexting by young people is a serious problem, but most voters say booting them from school is too severe a punishment and prosecuting them is out of the question,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, in a statement.
On the pot issue, more than half of Colorado voters were happy with the state’s decision to legalize marijuana, according to the survey – 53 percent said it was “good for the state” as to the 39 percent who thought it had a negative effect. One in four Colorado voters said they’ve used pot since it was legalized. Among voters older than 64, about eight percent have taken part since Jan. 1, 2014.
“A smoking hot issue when first proposed, legalized marijuana sales seem to be on a mellow ride toward acceptance. Women are divided. Men are flat out loving it,” Malloy said.
As for firearms, the Colorado voters surveyed in the Quinnipiac poll were in favor 55 percent to 41 percent of allowing teachers and education officials to carry guns on school grounds. About half – 49 percent – though Colorado would be safer if more people carried guns.
The poll was conducted between Nov. 11 and Nov. 15. Nearly 1,300 Colorado voters were surveyed; the poll has a stated margin of error of 2.8 percentage points. Both land lines and cell phones were contacted.
