CO-Sen, CO-Gov: Bennet Retains Small Edge, Republicans Locked in Tossups

Public Policy Polling (8/7-8, likely voters, 5/14-16 in parens):

Michael Bennet (D-inc): 49 (46)

Andrew Romanoff (D): 43 (31)

Undecided: 9 (23)

(MoE: ±4.6%)

Andrew Romanoff has clearly made some pretty big strides in recent weeks, snaring a big chunk of undecideds and turning this sleepy race into a potential nail-biter tomorrow night. Still, unlike SurveyUSA, which released a poll last week showing Romanoff with a slim lead over Bennet, PPP’s tricorder is detecting a Bennet win to be the likeliest outcome. If that’s true, I wonder if that recent NY Times piece on Bennet’s exotic financial deal-making that backfired while he was the Superintendent of the Denver Board of Education may have come out a little too late for Romanoff to make enough hay out of it. But, maybe robocalls from Bubba will help change a few minds.

Meanwhile, over in GOPville…

Jane Norton (R): 45 (31)

Ken Buck (R): 43 (26)

Undecided: 12 (29)

(MoE: ±3.5%)

Scott McInnis (R): 41

Dan Maes (R): 40

Undecided: 19

(MoE: ±3.5%)

PPP also offers slightly different takes than SUSA on the GOP Senate and Gube primaries, showing bare leads for Norton and McInnis where SUSA found Buck and Maes leading the pack last week.

One has to wonder if McInnis would really stick with this thing if he won the primary (his favorability numbers are in the net negatives among Republicans, so the dude is clearly screwed), or if he would step aside and let someone like former state Sen. Josh Penry or Jane Norton (assuming she loses the Senate primary) take his spot on the ballot instead, a deal that ColoradoPols is picking up plenty of chatter about on their enemy radio surveillance channels. And even then, you’ve gotta wonder if Tom Tancredo would stick out his third-party bid or allow one of Penry or Norton (or whomever) a fighting chance in the general election.