Latest Q Poll gives Lamont 8-point lead

One-fifth of those surveyed unsure of vote

With less than a month to go before the election, more than one-fifth of likely Connecticut voters surveyed are still not sure who will get their vote for governor, according to the latest Quinnipiac University Poll.

The poll released Wednesday morning finds Democrat Ned Lamont leading Republican Bob Stefanowski 47 percent compared to 39 percent, a decrease from the double-digit lead Quinnipiac’s August poll gave Lamont.

But 21 percent are undecided.

“That shows there’s room for movement in this race,” said Douglas Schwartz, director of the poll. “A month is a lifetime in politics. It’s certainly possible that we’ll see movement.”

The survey took place Oct. 3-8, and 767 likely Connecticut voters were interviewed on cellphones and landlines, with a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points

Unaffiliated candidate Oz Griebel, a former Hartford regional business leader, has 11 points among likely voters in a new showing of strength from the once-unknown candidate. Still, 72 percent of voters have not heard enough about him to form an opinion.

Marc Bradley, Lamont’s campaign manager, used the new poll to attack Stefanowski’s proposal to eliminate the state’s income tax and corporate taxes.

“Polls change, but one thing hasn't: Bob Stefanowski's reckless scheme to eliminate more than half the state’s revenue, which would deliver higher property taxes in every city and town, while slashing funding for education, health care, public safety, and the very things that make Connecticut a good place to live and work,” Bradley said in a statement. “Ned Lamont is the only candidate running with a positive vision and plan for creating good jobs, investing in education and workforce training, cutting property taxes for the middle class, and fixing Connecticut’s fiscal crisis, and he is going to continue to work every day between now and Nov. 6 to earn voters’ support.”

Kendall Marr, Stefanowski’s spokesman, said the new poll shows a 5-point improvement over the August survey, and combined with last week’s AARP poll that shows Stefanowski with a narrow lead, means the message of cutting taxes and reforming government is resonating.

“As we near election day, we expect a significant number of voters to switch their support to Stefanowski as they begin to take a closer look at Ned Lamont's plans to increase the burden on the middle class by raising the income tax, establishing new property taxes, putting up tolls and continuing Dan Malloy's failed economic policies,” Marr said in a

statement. “Voters know that Bob Stefanowski is the only candidate who can be trusted to bring the change we need to get Connecticut's economy back on track and restore our status as a state of opportunity for all.”

Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy holds a comfortable lead over business owner Matthew Corey, the Republican challenger, 57-42 percent, the poll says.

Gender disparity

Among women, Lamont enjoys a 22-percentage point edge.

Women support Lamont 53-31 percent, with 13 percent for Griebel, while men back Stefanowski, a consultant and former corporate executive from Madison 46-41 percent, with 9 percent for Griebel. Schwartz stressed that this is his

Women support Lamont 53-31 percent, with 13 percent for Griebel, while men back Stefanowski, a consultant and former corporate executive from Madison 46-41 percent, with 9 percent for Griebel.

university’s first polling of voters who describe themselves as likely to cast ballots on Nov. 6 and should not be compared to earlier surveys of registered voters.

A similar poll of likely voters in August performed by Sacred Heart University and Hearst Connecticut Media showed Lamont with a slight edge, 40.8 percent to 36.9 percent.

The new Quinnipiac poll finds that voters have lukewarm approval ratings for both candidates, with Lamont split at 44-45 percent in favor and Stefanowski with a slight negative approval rating, 39 to 44 percent.

Overall, state voters disapprove 59-39 percent of the way President Donald Trump is doing his job, a percentage that could reflect on Stefanowski, a Trump supporter who has expressed little opinion on social issues and other subjects that have come up in debate, focusing on his tax-cutting proposal and tying Lamont to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.