Senator Joseph Lieberman

As Republican Governor Jodi Rell continues to glide to reelection, the U.S. Senate race has tightened.

Rell has largely escaped the troubles plaguing many of her GOP colleagues and now leads Democrat John DeStefano 57% to 35%. DeStefano has been gaining, but too slowly to matter on November 7.

In the Senate race, Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman leads Democrat Ned Lamont 48% to 40% (see crosstabs). Early this month, Lieberman led 50% to 40%.

After losing the Democratic primary, Senator Lieberman chose to run as an Independent, against the wishes of many leading Democrats. But he has led Lamont since then in our surveys.

Lieberman's dip in the new poll could be a mere statistical wobble, or it could signal a significant tightening of the race.

But all bets are off if the marginalized GOP candidate manages to climb much further. Schlesinger has been sidelined up to now because of a gambling controversy and the willingness of Republican voters to flow en masse to the Lieberman camp. But after managing only 6% early in the month, he now attracts 9% of the vote.

Lamont must hope that voters' usual reluctance to expend support on a low-drawing "third party" candidate won't apply in Schlesinger's case. To the extent Schlesinger gains in the campaign's waning days, the likely loser is Lieberman, not Lamont.

Thirty-seven percent (37%) now view Schlesinger favorably, up from 19% on October 3.

Senator Lieberman attracts 68% of Republicans, 30% of Democrats. Lamont attracts 14% of Republicans (as does Schlesinger) and 65% of Democrats. Among unaffiliated voters, the incumbent leads 50% to 37%; Schlesinger gets 10%.

Most Lamont voters (55%) see their vote as anti-Lieberman. Only 27% of Lieberman voters see their vote as anti-Lamont.

Crosstabs available for Premium Members only.

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Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, has been an independent pollster for more than a decade.