GOP's Jane Norton a Big Threat to Take Colorado Senate Seat from Democrats
Bruce Drake
Former Republican Lt. Gov. Jane Norton is showing the strongest poll numbers among GOP candidates vying to run against Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, and Bennet's challenger for his party's nomination, Alex Romanoff, generally runs better than Bennet against the Republicans, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Feb. 2.
Norton bests Bennet, who was appointed to the seat when Ken Salazar was named Interior Secretary, by 51 percent to 37 percent with 5 percent preferring another candidate and 7 percent undecided. That's a two point gain for her since last month. Against Romanoff, a former state House speaker, she leads 45 percent to 38 percent with 7 percent preferring someone else and 10 percent undecided.
Former state Sen. Tom Wiens leads Bennet 45 percent to 40 percent with 4 percent preferring someone else and 14 percent undecided. Romanoff matches up against him more closely than Bennet, with Wiens leading by a statistically insignificant 42 percent to 40 percent with 6 percent preferring someone else and 12 percent undecided.
Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck leads Bennet 45 percent to 41 percent with 5 percent preferring another candidate and 8 percent undecided. In this case, there's not much difference between Romanoff and Bennet, with Buck leading the incumbent 45 percent to 41 percent with 5 percent preferring someone else and 8 percent undecided.
The margin of error is 4.5 points.