For Immediate Release - Thursday September 11^th, 2008

Contact: Tara Trujillo, 303.820.2008(o)

NEW POLL SHOWS COLORADANS REJECTING MASSIVE SMEAR CAMPAIGN AGAINST MARK UDALL

After $8 Million in Anti-Udall Attack Ads, Including Nearly $7 Million Since August 1st, Udall Still Holds 11-Point Lead Over Schaffer

Coloradans are overwhelmingly rejecting a multi-million-dollar smear campaign launched by Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer and his allies against Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mark Udall, according to a new poll conducted by Colorado-based Harstad Strategic Research, Inc., for the Udall campaign. The poll shows Udall holds a 45%-34% lead over Schaffer.

Udall holds his lead despite over $8.6 million in attack ad spending against Udall by the Schaffer campaign and outside groups—including $6.9 million just since August 1^st.

And despite massive spending on ads smearing Mark Udall's record on energy and taxes, Udall has actually gained ground since August on those issues among Coloradans, who favor Mark Udall over Bob Schaffer on energy, taxes, and standing up for the middle class.

"These results indicate that the attack campaign being waged by several out-of-state groups on Bob Schaffer's behalf has been strikingly ineffective so far," said Paul Harstad, CEO of Harstad Strategic Research. "In fact, to the contrary, Mark Udall's position has actually strengthened on the exact issues these ads have sought to attack him on."

"Coloradans are looking at the record and seeing that Mark Udall stands with them, while Bob Schaffer consistently stands with the Bush administration, the big oil companies, and corrupt lobbyists like Jack Abramoff," said Udall spokeswoman Tara Trujillo.  "Schaffer and his front groups are spending millions of dollars to hide that record, but Coloradans aren't being fooled."

The poll of 752 likely Colorado voters was conducted September 7^th through the 9^th, and has a 3.6% margin of error. Harstad Strategic Research has a long record of work in Colorado campaigns and issues, including serving as pollster to Senator Ken Salazar.

Excerpted Poll Questions

This November there will also be an election for U.S. Senator. If the election for U.S. senator was held today, and the candidates were Democrat Mark Udall, Republican Bob Schaffer, Green candidate Bob Kinsey, and American Constitution Party candidate Douglas Dayhorse Campbell — for whom would you vote?

Udall............................................................ 45%
Schaffer ...................................................... 34%
Bob Kinsey................................................... 2%
Douglas Campbell......................................... 3%
Undecided.................................................... 15%

I'd like to read you some issues people might consider when they chose for whom to vote for in the election for U.S. Senator - and ask you to compare the candidates. For each one, please tell me whether it better describes — Mark Udall or Bob Schaffer.

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