QU Poll puts Murphy ahead of McMahon

(WTNH) -- The latest Quinnipiac University Poll shows Chris Murphy with a 49 - 43 lead over Linda McMahon among likely voters in the contentious Connecticut Senate race.

Women, older voters are going Murphy's way, the poll says .

A QU poll released earlier in the month showed the race a virtual tie.

"It's deja vu all over again in the Connecticut Senate race," Quinnipiac University Poll Director Douglas Schwartz said in a statement. "As we hit the final stretch of the campaign, Linda McMahon is beginning to fade, as she did in her 2010 run against Richard Blumenthal."

In a statement posted on her website, McMahon's campaign said “We know that Linda’s message is resonating with voters across Connecticut. We have the momentum and energy behind our campaign to win."

What do a majority of those polled agree on? Their overall distaste for the race. 62 percent say they have a "strongly unfavorable" or "somewhat unfavorable" opinion of this Senate race.

Voters over 55 were spilt, but now go Murphy's way. Women back Murphy 52-38, but men still support McMahon 50-46, the poll shows.

Quinnipiac surveyed 1,412 likely voters between Oct. 19-22. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.6 percentage points.

In the presidential race, Connecticut voters give President Obama a double-digit advantage over Republican Mitt Romney, 55-41.

"President Barack Obama is running stronger than Murphy in Connecticut, holding steady with a 14 point lead over Gov. Mitt Romney," Schwartz said. "The President's coattails are helping Murphy."

Poll Link: http://www.quinnipiac.edu/institutes-centers/polling-institute/connecticut/release-detail?ReleaseID=1811