GOP Rep. Cory Gardner has a 7-point lead over incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Udall in the closely watched U.S. Senate race in Colorado, said a Quinnipiac poll released Thursday morning.
Mr. Gardner leads Mr. Udall 46 percent to 39 percent among likely voters, with 7 percent opting for independent candidate Steve Shogan. Mr. Gardner had a 46 percent to 41 percent over Mr. Udall in an Oct. 24 survey from Quinnipiac.
There is a significant gender gap in a race in which Democrats have focused relentlessly on women’s issues. Mr. Gardner has a 21-point lead, 54 percent to 33 percent, over Mr. Udall among men. Women, meanwhile, back Mr. Udall over Mr. Gardner by 6 points, 45 percent to 39 percent.
Mr. Gardner has a slight advantage over Mr. Udall among political independents, 37 percent to 35 percent. Mr. Shogan picks up 19 percent in that category.
With Mr. Shogan out of the race, Mr. Gardner is ahead of Mr. Udall by 8 points, 49 percent to 41 percent.
“U.S. Sen. Mark Udall loses ground to U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner — and the GOP smacks its lips,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. “This Colorado Senate race has national implications, and it’s taken an ugly turn for the incumbent.”
Indeed, national Democratic figures like former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton have made recent trips to Colorado in a bid to boost Mr. Udall, while former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney are among those who have made trips to Colorado to help out Republicans this year.
The survey of 844 likely voters was taken from Oct. 22-27 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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