Blumenthal Maintains Big Lead Over McMahon in Quinnipiac Poll

A new Quinnipiac University poll shows that Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal still holds a large lead in the race for the Senate seat now held by Christopher Dodd.

Blumenthal has been the subject of national criticism following a New York Times article about his service during the Vietnam war.

The negative press has taken a small toll on Blumenthal, once thought to be a shoe-in to replace Dodd. But, he still holds a 25 point lead over his main Republican challenger, Linda McMahon.

Doug Schwartz, director of the poll, says that Blumenthal still has a commanding lead.

"It says that people really like him, and because the really like the job he's done for 20 years as attorney general, they're willing to cut him some slack on this controversy."

The poll does show that fewer Connecticut voters find the Democrat "honest and trustworthy" since the incident.

McMahon's negatives also went up by 13 points - the former executive at World Wrestling Entertainment had claimed credit for feeding the Vietnam story to the Times.

The Quinnipiac poll also has businessman Ned Lamont leading former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy 41 to 24 percent in the race for Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

Malloy beat Lamont at the state primary, winning the party's endorsement.