Polls show GOP lead in two key races

Republican Senate candidates Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) lead Democratic incumbents in new polls released a day before Election Day.

Gardner leads Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) by 48 percent to 45 percent, while Sullivan holds a slight lead over Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), 46 percent to 45 percent. Both polls were released by Democratic-leaning firm Public Policy Polling.

{mosads}Gardner also holds a lead in Quinnipiac University’s new poll by 45 percent to 43 percent. 

The majority of the Centennial State’s white voters back Gardner, while Udall is keeping it close with leads among Hispanics and independent voters. Udall has a 50 percent unfavorable rating. Gardner has a 46 percent favorable rating, with 45 percent holding an unfavorable view of the Republican congressman. 

While Gardner has almost exclusively led the polls since the middle of September, Quinnipiac University Poll Assistant Director Tim Malloy said that the race is still “too close to call.”

“What looked like a GOP lock on a coveted Senate seat in a targeted state, heads down to the wire with no clear leader.” he said. 

Democrats have tried to tie Gardner to the state’s personhood amendment, which gives rights to fetuses and subsequently limits abortions. That amendment has support from just 38 percent of voters in the new poll, but Udall and the Democrats haven’t been able to use that issue to turn voters against Gardner.

In Alaska, the margin between Begich and Sullivan remains razor-thin. Begich holds a 50 percent to 36 percent lead with independents, but Sullivan has closed the gap with female voters to just 1 percentage point.

President Obama’s approval rate in the state is also well below his national average of 42 percent, which is a problem for Begich. Just 34 percent of Alaskan voters approve of the president.