State GOP Chairman Jerry Labriola Jr. downplayed the findings of a new poll by the conservative Yankee Institute that doesn’t exactly bode well for Republicans.
Among Connecticut voters surveyed by the Yankee Institute, President Obama holds a 50-37% advantage over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and a 56-35% edge over former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
“It’s very early in the process,” Labriola told Hearst Connecticut Newspapers. “We’ve had months and months of very close focus on the Republican candidates for president and very little investigation during this time on Obama’s record. Once we do unite behind our nominee for president and the voters give a thorough investigation of the woeful economic policies of the Obama administration, they will turn to the common sense leadership and fiscally conservative policies of our Republican nominee for president.”
Labriola also put a positive spin on the U.S. Senate race polling by the Yankee Institute, which shows Democratic Congressman Chris Murphy, D-New Britain, with a 49-40% edge over former WWE CEO Linda McMahon and a 45-39% lead over former Congressman Chris Shays.
“I would treat him as more of the incumbent in the race,” Labriola said of Murphy. “I think it’s clearly going to be a horse race for the United States Senate seat in Connecticut. We’re more than overdue for the voters to restore a balance of power to Connecticut by sending a Republican to the United States Senate.”