Blumenthal leads potential GOP rivals ahead of Connecticut general election: poll

Incumbent Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) is leading his possible Republican challengers ahead of the general election in Connecticut, according to a new poll from The Hill and Emerson College.

In a potential match-up between Blumenthal and former Connecticut state House Rep. Themis Klarides (R), Blumenthal led 50 percent to 40 percent. Ten percent said they were undecided. Meanwhile, Blumenthal led businesswoman Leora Levy 52 percent to 36 percent, with 11 percent saying they were undecided.

And in a match-up against businessman Peter Lumaj, Blumenthal led 51 percent to 35 percent, with 14 percent undecided.

The Connecticut GOP endorsed Klarides on Saturday.

Blumenthal, who has served in the Senate since 2011, is viewed as a fixture in Connecticut politics. He served as the state’s attorney general before he was elected to Senate, and served in Connecticut’s state House and state Senate.

His future Republican challenger will likely face an uphill climb against him. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as “solid Democratic.”

Looking ahead to a potential 2024 presidential match-up between President Biden and former President Trump in Connecticut, 51 percent of the state’s voters said they planned to support Biden, while 38 percent said they planned to support Trump.

The survey from The Hill and Emerson College was conducted on May 10-11, 2022, among 1,000 registered voters. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.