DSCC Poll: Murphy Leads McMahon By 6 in Connecticut

By Julie Sobel  //  October 23, 2012 | 1:56 p.m.

An internal poll conducted for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee shows Democratic Rep. Chris Murphy leading Republican nominee Linda McMahon by 6 points in the Connecticut Senate race, a contest that has tightened this fall.

The poll, conducted by Hamilton Campaigns, shows Murphy with 46 percent support to McMahon's 40 percent, with 12 percent of voters still undecided 2 weeks out from Election Day.

A polling memo indicates that McMahon does no better among Democrats than Murphy does among Republicans, with each receiving 15 percent support from the other's party. In a state that President Obama is favored to win easily, McMahon needs ticket-splitters -- as indicated by her recent ad featuring people saying they plan to vote for the president and McMahon.

McMahon has been blitzing Murphy with negative ads, but the poll finds 47 percent of respondents view him favorably to 43 percent who see him unfavorably. McMahon's numbers are worse, with 41 percent seeing her favorably and 52 percent unfavorably. She's coming off another tough campaign, her 2010 loss to now-Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

Other polls have shown a closer race in the Nutmeg State: A Quinnipiac poll released in early October had McMahon with 48 percent to Murphy's 47 percent. A University of Connecticut/Hartford Courant poll last week had the race at Murphy with 44 percent support to McMahon's 38 percent. A Siena College poll had Murphy at 46 percent support and McMahon at 44 percent. A new Quinnipiac poll on the race will be out tomorrow morning -- stay tuned. The Hamilton Campaigns poll surveyed 800 likely voters, and was conducted from October 19-22. The margin of error is plus-or-minus 3.5 percentage points.

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