The race for U.S. Senate in Colorado remains one of the most competitive in the country in the days before the election. Democrat Michael Bennett and Republican Ken Buck remain in a virtual tie with Bennett having a nominal lead of 1 percentage point. The race for Governor is not as competitive, with Independent candidate Tom Tancredo trailing Democrat John Hickenlooper by 7 percentage points. The Republican candidate for Governor is well behind, receiving only 9 percent, with the total vote for the Republican candidate Dan Maes and that of former Republican Tom Tancredo essentially equal to the vote for Democrat John Hickenlooper.
Senate
| Registered Voters | Likely Voters | |
|---|---|---|
Michael Bennet | 49% | 49% |
Ken Buck | 45% | 48% |
Independents key to support for Democratic candidates
Democratic Gubernatorial candidate John Hickenlooper leads Independent candidate Tom Tancredo among Independents by 21 percentage points. Hickenlooper also holds a small lead among men who are likely voters, 2 percentage points, and a larger lead, 14 points, among women. While Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Michael Bennett trails Republican Ken Buck by 4 percentage points among men who are likely voters, he leads by 7 points among women. With both candidates having consolidated their base, Bennett’s 20 point lead among Independents is keeping the race tight.
Methodology
Interviews with 1000 registered voters, including 855 likely voters, were conducted October 25-28, 2010, online using YouGov’s PollingPoint panel. YouGov uses a matched sample methodology that selects respondents to match the Colorado registered voter population in terms of demographics (age, race, gender, education, employment status, income, marital status, children), past voting behavior, and political attitudes (interest in politics, party registration, and ideology).
