FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 11, 2011
INTERVIEWS: Tom Jensen 919-744-6312 IF YOU HAVE BASIC METHODOLOGICAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE E-MAIL information@publicpolicypolling.com, OR CONSULT THE FINAL PARAGRAPH OF THE PRESS RELEASE
Colorado loves Hickenlooper, Bennet would rout Buck in re-do Raleigh, N.C. – Colorado’s freshman Senator Michael Bennet eked out a surprising lessthan-two-point victory over Republican nominee Ken Buck last fall, but if voters headed to the polls now, they would send him back to Washington with a resounding 55-38 triumph. Key in Bennet’s surge is a reversal with independents, from Buck’s 53-37 edge to Bennet up 57-35 now. Bennet has left a good impression with voters as he settles into his previously appointed office. Just before the election, only 39% of voters approved of his work, and 47% disapproved. When PPP last polled the state in February, he was still at only a 42-40 approval margin. Now, it is 44-36. John Hickenlooper was elected governor in that same election by a much more comfortable 15-point margin, and with 54% approving and 24% disapproving of his performance, he is the third most popular current governor on which PPP has polled. Voters are closely divided on a referendum slightly raising the state income and sales tax rates in order to fund public education. 47% disapprove and 45% approve of these potential hikes. Republicans are more against it (73%) than Democrats for it (63%), but independents side 48-44 in its favor. Voters would seem more open to legalizing marijuana use, however. 51% think it should be legal, and 38% prefer it to remain illegal. Independents are for it, 55-31, and Republicans are more for it (31%) than Democrats against it (24%). Coloradans are split on same-sex marriage, with 45% believing it should be legal, and the same wanting to keep it illegal. Independents are for it, 54-33. Expanding the options to include civil unions, 71% of voters, including 57% of Republicans, 76% of independents, and 78% of Democrats, think gay couples should at least have the same legal rights as everyone else. PPP surveyed 510 Colorado voters from August 4th to 7th. The margin of error for the survey is +/- 4.3%. This poll was not paid for or authorized by any campaign or political organization. PPP surveys are conducted through automated telephone interviews. PPP is a Democratic polling company, but polling expert Nate Silver of the New York Times found that its surveys in 2010 actually exhibited a slight bias toward Republican candidates. Public Policy Polling 3020 Highwoods Blvd. Raleigh, NC 27604
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