A new Rasmussen poll of Colorado suggests that if Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar had run for governor — he has just decided against it — the former Colorado Senator and state attorney general may well have lost, and might not even have been the strongest possible Democratic candidate.
Salazar and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper were both tested in the poll, which was conducted yesterday, against Republican former Rep. Scott McInnis. Salazar trailed McInnis by 47%-41%, while Hickenlooper is also behind by a narrower 45%-42%.
That said, the pollster’s analysis argues that Democratic chances of holding this governor’s mansion have actually improved since the retirement announcement by incumbent Dem Gov. Bill Ritter, noting that Ritter trailed McInnis by an eight-point margin last month.
