A new survey from Public Policy Polling (PPP) shows that Colorado gubernatorial candidate John Hickenlooper is among the most popular statewide candidates in the entire country.
According to the poll, which was conducted from August 7th to the 8th, Hickenlooper has an impressive 50% approval rating, with 33% reporting a negative opinion of the Denver mayor.
As PPP's Tom Jensen points out, "virtually no candidates across the country this year are hitting a 50% favorability rating but that's where Hickenlooper is with Colorado voters."
He's beating Republican nominee Dan Maes in a two-way race 50-38. When the survey factors in Tom Tancredo's third-party bid, Hickenlooper receives 48% support compared with 23% for Tancredo and 22% for Maes.
Maes, a businessman from Evergreen, came from behind on Tuesday to defeat one-time favorite Scott McInnis in the GOP primaries. His victory was made possible by significant ethics questions surrounding McInnis, although Maes has not been without his own ethical problems.
Earlier this summer he was fined for misuse of campaign funds.
The Colorado Republican Party would like to force Maes off the ballot so that they can replace him with a more viable candidate, but, Maes has said he's committed to staying on the ballot through November.