AUGUSTA, Maine - A new poll shows Democrat Mike Michaud ahead of Republican Gov. Paul LePage in Maine's gubernatorial contest, with independent Eliot Cutler a distant third, according to the Bangor Daily News.
The Bangor Daily News/Ipsos Public Affairs poll canvassed 1,004 people — including 903 registered voters, 540 of whom were deemed likely to vote — online from Oct. 6-12. It shows Michaud with 42 percent support, LePage with 36 percent and Cutler with 16 percent. One percent chose another candidate and 5 percent said they didn't know, or refused to answer.
The poll also indicates that Michaud has a higher "favorability" rating among voters than LePage, with 63 percent viewing Michaud favorably compared with 42 percent for LePage.
The poll's findings differ significantly from one released last week by Pan-Atlantic SMS, which showed LePage leading Michaud 39.3 percent to 33.6 percent, with Cutler at 19.5 percent. That poll surveyed 400 Mainers by telephone, using both cell phones and land lines.
In other contests, the Ipsos poll also found more opposition than support for Question 1, which would ban bait, traps and dogs when hunting bear, with 49 percent of respondents saying they'd vote against it and 43 percent expressing support. Seven percent said they didn't know or refused to answer.
It also indicates that Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins is far ahead of Democratic challenger Shenna Bellows, 56-31. The remainder chose another candidate, said they didn't know or refused to answer.
The Pan-Atlantic SMS poll showed an even wider spread in the Maine U.S. Senate race, with Collins leading 68-25.
The BDN/Ipsos poll has a margin of error of 3.5 percent overall, 3.8 percent for registered voters and 4.8 percent for likely voters.
