Schaffer Closes 10-Point Gap Against Udall In Colorado

Denver, CO (AHN) - Republican nominee Bob Schaffer and Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) are tied in the race for the seat of retiring Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO), according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll.

Schaffer and Udall are in a dead heat at 44 percent each. One percent of voters declared their support for other candidates and 11 percent were undecided.

Schaffer has closed a 10-point deficit since last month, when he trailed 38 percent to 48 percent. Pundits are attributing his rise to increased support for offshore oil drilling, which the former Republican congressman supports.

Fifty-nine percent of Colorado voters support drilling in protected offshore areas, while 37 percent oppose the idea and 4 percent are undecided. Less voters, however, were supportive of coastal exploration in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, with 52 percent of voters approving of the idea, 44 percent rejecting and 4 percent unsure.

Quinnipiac University Polling Institute Assistant Director Peter Brown says results in Colorado as well as three other swing states "show increased support for additional drilling."

Schaffer's gain from the growing support for coastal oil exploration promises to make the race, which Congressional Quarterly has rated as "leans Democratic," more competitive. Schaffer currently trails Udall in fund raising, and has been beleaguered by controversies surrounding his reported ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and his support for a widely panned energy plan backed by President George W. Bush.