Democratic incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet is facing tough poll numbers for his reelection bid, with only 30 percent of Coloradans believing he should keep his job, according to a new poll from Quinnipiac University.
The Denver Post reports:
Though U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is the only one up for re-election next year, fewer Colorado voters approved of his job performance than Gov. John Hickenlooper, fellow U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner and President Barack Obama, according to a new poll from Quinnipiac University.
Little more than a third of respondents — to the tune of 37 percent — liked what the Democratic lawmaker was doing. That compares to 47 percent and 39 percent for fellow Democrats Hickenlooper and Obama and 45 percent for Gardner, a Republican.
Even fewer said Bennet should be re-elected; 30 percent thought so compared to the 41 percent who said no. But about a third of voters, or 29 percent, were undecided on his re-election bid — giving the incumbent some room to grow (or lose) support as Republicans continue looking for a top-tier GOP challenger.
Bennet’s approval was only 39 percent among women, and 35 percent from men.
Bennet’s numbers are worse that former Sen. Mark Udall’s, when he was over a year out from reelection. Udall, who lost to Sen. Cory Gardner last year, had an even 44 to 44 percent approval rating in a November 2013 Quinnipiac poll. Forty-one percent of Coloradans thought Udall deserved to keep his job at the time, 11 percentage points higher than Bennet’s current numbers.
The poll also found that majorities in Colorado support allowing teachers to carry guns on school grounds and the legalization of marijuana in the state, at 55 percent each. Fifty-four percent of residents said they have tried the drug.