Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal holds a hefty lead in a new poll over his three Republican rivals for the U.S. Senate, giving Democrats a renewed chance of retaining the seat now that Sen. Chris Dodd is out of the race.
The Quinnipiac University survey released Thursday shows Blumenthal, a Democrat, leading former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons 62 percent to 27 percent, former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon 64 percent to 23 percent and Fairfield County money manager Peter Schiff 66 percent to 19 percent.
The poll, conducted two days after Dodd announced he would not seek a sixth term, also highlights the power of Blumenthal’s popularity. An impressive 84 percent approve of the job he’s doing as attorney general, while 74 percent of voters have a favorable opinion of him.
Quinnipiac pollster Douglas Schwartz said Blumenthal’s job approval figures are the highest of any politician the university has measured, with the exception of former President George W. Bush after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The telephone poll of 1,430 registered voters, conducted from Jan. 8 to Jan. 12, has a margin of sampling error was plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. (AP)
