Bennet leading GOP challenger O’Dea by 7 points in Colorado: poll

Incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) leads his Republican opponent, Joe O’Dea, by 7 points among registered voters in a Marist poll released on Tuesday.

Forty-eight percent of registered voters indicated support for Bennet, compared to O’Dea’s 41 percent support, according to the poll.

Among respondents who said they will definitely vote, Bennet’s lead shrunk slightly. Bennet garnered the support of 49 percent among that group, compared to O’Dea’s 43 percent.

The poll marks the latest survey showing O’Dea has an uphill battle in his challenge.

Virtually every major poll has shown Bennet leading, but Republicans are hoping O’Dea’s move to brand himself as a moderate who is distant from the more extreme elements of his party can put him over the finish line in November.

Bennet’s lead, however, was less than that of Jared Polis, Colorado’s Democratic governor who is running for reelection. He led his Republican challenger by 18 points among registered voters, according to the poll.

“Right now, incumbent Democrats for U.S. Senate and governor in Colorado are in the driver’s seat,” Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, said in a statement. 

“Democrat Polis’ wider margin over his opponent for governor is mostly owing to his support among independents,” Miringoff continued. “Democrat Bennet and Republican O’Dea run neck-and-neck for Senate among these voters.”

Bennet won the seat by a nearly 6-point margin in 2016. Cook Political Report ranks the seat as “lean Democrat.”

Bennet garnered the support of 43 percent of independents, while 40 percent of the group backed O’Dea, the poll found. 

More than 1 in 10 independents are undecided, with weeks to go until the midterm elections.

The poll also found significant differences in the two candidates’ favorability ratings.

Thirty-nine percent of Colorado adults expressed a favorable opinion of Bennet, compared to 31 percent who had an unfavorable view.

But O’Dea’s favorability rating was underwater, with 27 expressing a favorable opinion and 34 percent saying they had an unfavorable opinion. Nearly 4 in 10 — 38 percent — didn’t know the Colorado Republican or were unsure about how to rate him.

Inflation clocked in as voters’ top issue in deciding their votes, with 34 percent saying rising prices are top of mind. 

Preserving democracy was close behind, clocking in at 29 percent, and was followed by abortion and crime.

The poll was conducted Oct. 3-6 with 1,221 respondents. The margin of error is 4.5 percentage points.