Eye on the Senate: Dodd Still Has Upward Climb in Connecticut

July 23, 2009 11:27 AM | | Comments (1)

Connecticut Sen. Christopher J. Dodd continues to trail former Rep. Rob Simmons in a hypothetical 2010 match-up, but his approval ratings continued to inch up in a Quinnipiac University poll conducted July 18 through 20

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Simmons leas Dodd 48 percent to 39 percent in that survey. That's an improvement for Simmons, who lead Dodd 45 percent to 39 percent in a May Quinnipiac poll.

The poll found Dodd with just a slight lead on state Sen. Sam Caligiuri in a general election match-up, 42 percent to 40 percent, and tied with businessman and former Ireland ambassador Tom Foley, at 42 percent. Dodd lead investor Peter Schiff 43 percent to 38 percent.

Simmons is the heavy favorite among registered Republicans in a hypothetical primary, but a large swathe of the electorate -- 45 percent -- remains undecided. Simmons, by far the best known of the candidates, was backed by 42 percent of respondents compared to 5 percent each for primary foes Caligiuri and Foley.

Schiff, who is considering entering the race, did not register support among registered Republicans sampled, which doesn't bode well for his upstart candidacy.

Dodd's favorability rating climbed to 40 percent in July from its low of 30 in April. While 80 percent of Republicans view him unfavorably, 70 percent of Democrats view him favorably.

Underscoring his improved standing among members of his own party, Dodd leads comfortably in a primary match-up with Democratic challenger, businessman and former aide to Vice President Al Gore Merrick Alpert, 52 percent to 18 percent. The Connecticut Democratic State Central Committee also passed a unanimous resolution Wednesday evening in support of Dodd in a rebuff to Alpert's candidacy.

A majority of independents -- 56 percent -- still have an unfavorable impression of Dodd. With more voters choosing unaffiliated status than registered with either major party, this is a demographic Dodd will have to win back to earn a sixth term in 2010.

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Categories: Quinnipiac University, Senate

Tags: Alpert, Caligiuri, Connecticut, Dodd, Foley, Shiff, Simmons

    Comments

  1. When the Senator's father, Sen. Thomas Dodd, lost to Lowell Weicker in 1970, wasn't the elder Dodd also upended by some sort of ethics scandal? It's funny how that darn history keeps repeating itself, and that the leaf never falls far from the tree.

    Posted by: NObama Author Profile Page | July 23, 2009 5:39 PM

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