Lautenberg Leads in Polls

Lautenberg received 49 percent to Forrester's 45 percent in the latest Quinnipiac University poll of likely voters, with 4 percent undecided. The difference falls within the poll's margin of error, plus or minus four percentage points.

The results were similar to a Research 2000 poll published in the Sunday Record of Bergen County, in which Lautenberg had a 46 percent and Forrester received 40 percent.

When asked whether it was fair for Lautenberg to replace Sen. Robert Torricelli on the November ballot, 54 percent said no, but only 30 percent said they would not vote for Lautenberg because of the switch.

The state Supreme Court ruled last week that the change could be made, and Republicans have since asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene. The court had not announced early Monday whether they would take any action.

"The new Democratic candidate has turned the New Jersey senate race into a whole new ball game that will be decided by independent voters," said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac Polling Institute.

"New Jersey voters don't like the way Lautenberg got on the ballot, but they are glad to see tarnished Sen. Robert Torricelli gone," Richards said. "And one in five of those voters who say a last minute candidate switch is unfair say they will vote for Lautenberg anyway."

Both candidates received strong partisan support, with Lautenberg favored by 86 percent of Democrats and Forrester backed by 88 percent of Republicans. Independent voters narrowly favored Lautenberg by 46 percent to 45 percent.

Lautenberg's favorability rating was 46 percent, while Forrester's was 27 percent.

"The whole Torricelli mess had made Forrester better known, But his negatives have gone up," Richards said.

The Quinnipiac poll was taken from Oct. 2-6 and surveyed 514 New Jersey residents who it identified as likely voters.

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Author: NBC10/AP