BOSTON (Reuters) - The Connecticut governor's race, a rematch between incumbent Democrat Dannel Malloy and Republican businessman Thomas Foley, is a dead heat with each candidate holding the support of 43 percent of likely voters, a Quinnipiac University poll found.
The poll, released on Wednesday, showed Malloy narrowing what a month ago had been a 6 percentage point lead for Foley, a former U.S. ambassador to Ireland. Other recent polls have shown Malloy with a lead.
Neither candidate was regarded particularly favorably by the 1,085 likely voters polled Oct. 1 to 6, with 41 percent viewing each favorably. Some 51 percent of respondents viewed Malloy unfavorably, while 39 percent had a negative view of Foley. The poll had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
"As the campaign has gotten nasty, voters are not wild about either candidate," said Douglas Schwartz, the poll's director. "Voters like Foley less since our last poll. Foley's negatives have risen, perhaps due to Malloy's attacks."
Each candidate has sought to paint the other as an unsuitable steward of the state's economy.
A wildcard remains independent candidate Joe Visconti, who had the support of 9 percent of voters, though the poll showed Malloy and Foley still tied, at 46 percent, in a theoretical two-way matchup.
(Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)