PPP released some final polling today. They did not have good results from Arkansas, Kentucky and Idaho but they do have some news to pay attention to out of Connecticut and Massachusetts:
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/...
In Connecticut Democrat Dan Malloy leads Republican challenger Tom Foley 44-41, with independent Joe Visconti getting 6%. When you take Visconti out of the mix and push undecideds about who they would vote for, Malloy maintains a 3 point lead at 47/44. The race has tightened since a month ago when we found Malloy leading 43/35. Since that time Foley's party has unified around him, taking him from 63% of the Republican vote to 80%. Foley is also keeping it close in the normally blue state by winning independents 43/29.
Even though there are many races across the country this year where voters don't like either candidate, Connecticut is on another level in that regard. Malloy has a 38/52 approval spread, but Foley has a 33/48 favorability rating. The race still remains very close but it may be in the end that in a race with two similarly unpopular candidates, the state ends up voting to form with its normal party allegiances.
In the race for Governor of Massachusetts Republican Charlie Baker leads Democratic foe Martha Coakley 46/42, with third party candidates combining for 7% and 6% still undecided. It's worth noting that undecideds, when prodded about who they lean toward, choose Coakley 39/14. Supporters of the third party candidates also say Coakley would be their second choice by a 38/29 spread. In a 2 way race Baker's lead goes down to 48/47, so there is some reason to think the contest could end up being tighter.
The big story in this contest is Baker's popularity. 52% of voters have a favorable opinion of him to 33% with an unfavorable one. Few candidates across the country are managing that level of popularity this year. Coakley isn't unpopular- 44% see her favorably and 44% unfavorably- but Baker's on another level. Baker is winning independents 57/29, and he's receiving 86% of the Republican vote while just 69% of Democrats are for Coakley right now. - PPP, 11/1/14
Malloy's holding on but it's tight and it's all about getting the undecideds to come out for Coakley. Click here to help out with GOTV efforts for Malloy and Coakley's campaigns:
http://www.danmalloy2014.com/
http://www.marthacoakley.com/