A new poll commissioned by CT Capitol Report seems to indicate that U.S. Rep. John Larson's path to reelection may not be so smooth after all.
The survey, released Thursday, shows Republican challenger Ann Brickley with substantial support among likely voters, particularly among men and people who disapprove of President Obama's performance.
Larson, a Democrat, had a 51.8 to 44.7 percent lead over Brickley, with 3.5 percent of those polled still unsure about which candidate to support, according to the poll conducted by Merriman River Group.
Brickley, an engineer and business consultant from Wethersfield, is giving Larson his "stiffest challenge yet" in the veteran politician's bid for a seventh term, the poll's executive director, Matthew Fitch, said in a prepared statement.
"While the old saying holds that all politics is local, the poll numbers suggest that for many voters this year, this congressional race is a referendum on President Obama," Fitch said.
Voters who approve of Obama's job performance supported Larson by an 87-9 margin, while those who disapprove of his performance supported Brickley by an 84-13 margin, Fitch said.
Larson enjoyed a 16.5-point lead over Brickley among female voters, while men were more closely divided, favoring Bricley by a 51-47 margin.
"With Obama's approval ratings a 50-50 proposition in the 1st District, Larson's challenge will be to make the election more than just an Obama referendum," Fitch said.
The poll, conducted on Oct. 3-5, surveyed 515 likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points, according to a press release from CT Capitol Report.
--Reported by Courant Staff Writer Jesse Leavenworth