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PPP Poll: Dem Coons Leads O’Donnell Big — And Would Have Trailed Castle

Christine O'Donnell (R), and Chris Coons (D), candidates for Senate in Delaware.

Newly-released poll numbers from Public Policy Polling (D), conducted over the weekend before yesterday’s Delaware primary, provides yet further evidence that Christine O’Donnell’s nomination for Senate has probably blown the opportunity for Republicans to pick up this seat.

The poll shows the Democratic nominee, New Castle County Executive Chris Coons, leading O’Donnell by a whopping 50%-34%. Had the GOP nomination gone to the establishment favorite, Congressman Mike Castle, he would have led Coons by 45%-35%. The survey of likely voters has a ±3.2% margin of error. In the previous PPP survey from a month ago, Coons led O’Donnell by 44%-37%, and Castle led Coons by 48%-35%.

“A small group of Delaware Republicans most likely cost their party this seat and any chance at gaining control of the Senate last night,” writes PPP president Dean Debnam. “What has looked like an easy Republican win the entire cycle now looks like an easy one for the Democrats.”

2010 elections, Chris Coons, Christine O'Donnell, DE-SEN, Mike Castle, PPP, Polls, Senate '10
Eric Kleefeld

Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.

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