Former Wrestling Exec McMahon Takes Lead in Race for GOP Senate Nod in Connecticut

Linda McMahon, the former chief executive of World Wrestling Entertainment, has taken the lead among the field of candidates seeking the GOP nomination for Senate, but all the Republican hopefuls still trail Democrat Richard Blumenthal by margins of 2-1 or more, according to a Quinnipiac University poll conducted March 9-15.

McMahon leads former Rep. Rob Simmons by 44 percent to 34 percent, with 9 percent for economist and commentator Peter Schiff. Twelve percent are undecided. In January, Simmons had led McMahon by 37 percent to 27 percent.

But in general election match-ups, Blumenthal, the state attorney general who stepped into the race when Sen. Christopher Dodd stepped out, leads McMahon by 61 percent to 28 percent, Simmons by 62 percent to 26 percent and Schiff by 64 percent to 21 percent.

Blumenthal is far better known than the Republicans, although McMahon could narrow that gap if she spends as much money on her campaign as some think she will. (The poll says that voters prefer candidates who finance their campaigns with private donations rather than personal wealth, 46 percent to 36 percent, with 18 percent undecided.)

Douglas Schwartz of Quinnipiac says McMahon's spending so far has accounted for her rise in the polls. "She is the only Senate candidate on TV right now," Schwartz said. "She quickly has become as well known and well liked among Republicans as the former front-runner for the Republican nomination," Simmons.

Only 10 percent of voters say they haven't heard enough about Blumenthal to have an opinion of him, compared with 36 percent for McMahon, 40 percent for Simmons and 85 percent for Schiff. Blumenthal enjoys a favorable-to-unfavorable ratio of 78 percent to 18 percent.

Also working in Blumenthal's favor is that 56 percent want to elect a senator who supports President Obama's policies, compared with 36 percent who don't, with 8 percent undecided.

In a nod to McMahon's background, the poll asked voters' opinion of professional wrestling. Fifty-four percent had an unfavorable opinion of it, compared with 17 percent who had a favorable opinion. The rest said they didn't know enough to offer an opinion or didn't answer the question.

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