Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) trails his best-known Republican challenger and also is struggling in hypothetical November 2010 matchups against much lesser-known GOP candidates, according to a Rasmussen Reports survey of 500 likely voters on Dec. 8.
Former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton (R) leads Bennet, who was appointed to the Senate in January, by 46 percent to 37 percent. Norton, the best-funded Republican candidate, has the backing of numerous Republican senators and Colorado officeholders.
Even county prosector Ken Buck and former state Sen. Tom Wiens, two other Republicans in the race, are running even or slightly ahead of Bennet despite not being established political figures statewide.
Bennet is suffering from a mediocre public image in his state. The poll said that 39 percent of respondents had a very favorable or somewhat favorable impression of Bennet but that 46 percent had a very unfavorable or somewhat unfavorable feeling. For Norton, the figures are 49 percent favorable and 32 percent unfavorable.
Bennet faces a primary challenge from Andrew Romanoff, a former state House Speaker. Romanoff trails Norton by 11 points and is running about even with Buck and Wiens.
CQ Politics presently rates the Colorado Senate race Leans Democratic, which gives the party a small advantage in a highly competitive race. But CQ Politics constantly re-evaluates its ratings as new polling data and other information about the race become available.
To see how the 2010 Senate races are shaping up, check out the CQ Politics' election map.
-Greg Giroux
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Comments
Another race, along with "Dingy Harry's" in NV, that will be very soon thrust into the toss-up category.
Posted by: NObama
| December 12, 2009 6:56 PM
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