A new Reuters/Ipsos poll [pdf] finds mixed news for Dems in Colorado. The basics:
Democrat John Hickenlooper has a substantial lead in the Colorado governor’s race in which a third-party candidate is splitting the Republican vote, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll.
But the Democrat in Colorado’s Senate race, incumbent Michael Bennet, trails Republican challenger Ken Buck 40-49 percent, the poll found...
Some 41 percent of likely Colorado voters said they would vote for Hickenlooper, 33 percent for Maes, and 16 percent supported Tancredo. Without Tancredo, Maes and Hickenlooper would be tied at 45 percent, according to the poll.
Digging a little deeper, both Hickenlooper and Bennet have pretty solid advantages with Colorado's large unaffiliated voters (among registered rather than likely voters). Bennet has a 27-17 lead with them, though a whopping 54% are undecided. Hickenlooper has as 22 point advantage, 30-8, over Maes, and a five point advantage over Tancredo, 30-25. Thirty-five percent of unaffiliated are undecided in this one. If Tancredo were to drop out, that'd leave 47% of unaffiliated voters undecided.
Colorado Dems are going to have to figure out how to get their own folks out, and really work on those unaffiliated voters again. They've been breaking for the Dems in the past few cycles, and really need to be engaged in this one.