Rasmussen Reports has moved the Colorado Governor's race from its "Solid Democrat" category to "Leans Democrat" after its latest poll found American Constitution Party (ACP) candidate Tom Tancredo trailing Democrat John Hickenlooper by just 8 percent.
Tancredo, a former Republican congressman and presidential candidate, switched his party affiliation to run as the ACP nominee in late July. It was widely predicted at the time that Tancredo would split the conservative vote with Republican nominee Dan Maes, effectively handing the race to Hickenlooper.
However, Tancredo has benefited from Maes's missteps to steadily rise in the polls since his entry into the race.
A Rasmussen poll released on August 2 showed Hickenlooper capturing 42 percent of the vote to Maes's 27 percent and Tancredo's 24 percent.
Much of the Republican establishment has since abandoned Maes in the wake of a series of distractions involving the candidate's time as a Kansas police officer, among other issues.
Rasmussen's most recent poll, which was conducted on October 3, shows Hickenlooper beating Tancredo by just 8 points, 43-35. Maes's support, meanwhile has slipped to just 16 percent.
Tancredo has also walloped Maes in fundraising, although he still trails Hickenlooper's totals. Maes's inability to raise money has caused some to question whether he still has the cash to stay in the race.
Last week, Tancredo used Maes's own words to argue that the Republican should be excluded from debates because he is polling at under 20%.
A Denver Post-sponsored Survey USA poll released on Sunday showed Hickenlooper beating Tancredo 46-34 with Dan Maes at 15 percent. A Fox News/ Pulse Opinion Research Poll from last week also showed Hickenlooper with a similar double-digit lead of 44-34.