Fresh off receiving endorsements from their respective parties at their state conventions, frontrunners Linda McMahon and Chris Murphy are now running away from their primary opponents in the state’s U.S. Senate race, a Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday morning shows.
McMahon, a Greenwich Republican and former World Wrestling Entertainment executive, now leads former U.S. Rep Chris Shays 59 percent to 30 percent — a whopping 29-percentage-point lead, and a 20-point increase over the 52-42 lead she had in a poll released March 22.
Murphy, leaving his post as the U.S. Representative from Connecticut’s 5th District, now leads former Secretary of the State Susan Byseiwicz 50 percent to 20 percent — an 18-point increase over the 37-25 advantage he had in March.
The poll also showed McMahon making a major dent in Murphy’s lead in a hypothetical general election matchup.
Murphy’s general election lead is now only 46-43 — a 12-point decrease from the 52-37 lead he had on the GOP frontrunner in March.
Murphy leads Shays in a hypothetical matchup 45-37 — a seven-point increase from his 41-40 lead in March.
The poll’s results are perhaps most troubling for Bysiewicz, who now trails both McMahon (46-42) and Shays (44-40) in general election matchups. In March, the former Secretary of the State held a 49-39 over McMahon and was in a virtual tie with Shays at 43-42.
The poll also showed President Barack Obama with a commanding 50-38 lead over presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney in the state’s presidential race.
And Gov. Dannel P. Malloy gets better marks this time around from voters, who disapprove of his performance by a slim margin of 47 percent to 44 percent. On April 25, 44 percent disapproved while only 37 percent approved.