President Barack Obama’s lead in Colorado is down to 3, according to a survey from Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling released Thursday.
The poll shows Obama leading Romney among likely voters in the state 50 percent to 47 percent. That’s the president’s smallest lead in PPP’s polling of the Centennial State all year and a dip from the 6-point lead he held prior to the first presidential debate in Denver earlier this month.
Along with Obama’s lead being sliced in half, Romney’s personal popularity among Colorado voters has also improved since the previous PPP survey in late-September. Although it remains under water, Romney’s favorability rating has seen a 5-point improvement during the last three weeks: 48 percent of Colorado voters now have a favorable view of the Republican nominee, while 49 percent have an unfavorable view. Obama’s approval rating has inched slightly downward, going from 50 percent to 49 percent in Thursday’s poll.
The poll shows a yawning generational gap in Colorado. Romney leads among the state’s senior citizens 55 percent to 43 percent, while Obama claims a cumulative lead among all other age groups, 51 percent to 46 percent. The president holds a narrow 3-point lead among Colorado women, while Romney edges Obama by 2 points among men. And in a state widely known for its independent streak, Obama leads Romney by 9 points among unaffiliated voters in Colorado.
Colorado voters also give the nod to Obama on two issues currently driving the campaign. By margins of 4 points and 6 points, voters said they trust Obama over Romney on the economy and Libya.
The PollTracker Average shows Obama moving ahead to claim a slim lead in Colorado.
PPP conducted its survey Oct. 16-18 using automated interviews with 1,000 likely Colorado voters. The poll has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.
