A pair of polls released show Democratic Sen. Mark Udall falling behind his Republican opponent in the tight Colorado race for his seat . A Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday shows Udall trailing Rep. Cory Gardner by eight points . The poll comes less than a day after a USA Today/Suffolk University poll showed the race as a statistical dead heat , with Gardner leading the incumbent , 43 % to 42 % . The two nonpartisan polls are the first time Udall has been behind his opponent since the last Quinnipiac poll gave Gardner a 2-point lead in July . The race has looked like a tough contest since Gardner jumped into it , but polling over the last two weeks has given Udall a 2- to 6-point edge over his Republican opponent . Udall 's campaign manager Adam Dunstone acknowledged on Twitter that his candidate is locked in a tight race , but dismissed any `` wild swings like you see in the news . '' Republicans are closer than ever to retaking the Senate since Democrats took control in 2006 , and a GOP win in Colorado could help tip the balance . Udall has tried to put daylight between his positions and President Barack Obama 's policies as the President 's poll numbers have dipped . The USA Today/Suffolk University poll showed 55 % had an unfavorable view of Obama . And while Colorado Gov . John Hickenlooper shared a beer with Obama in Denver in July , Udall was n't in the picture for the photo-op . He was originally scheduled to attend a Denver fundraiser with the President , but made a last-minute change to stay on Capitol Hill for a vote . But Gardner 's hefty lead in the Quinnipiac poll could also be an outlier : It 's the second time this week that Quinnipiac has strayed from the pack of polls . The institution also gave Republican candidate Joni Ernst a 6-point lead against her Democratic opponent Bruce Braley in the equally contentious Iowa Senate race . Other polls have pointed to a dead heat in the Iowa contest .
A Quinnipiac University poll showed Sen. Udall trailing Rep. Cory Gardner 40-48 % . A USA Today/Suffolk University poll gave Gardner a 1-point edge . The two nonpartisan polls are the first time Udall has been behind his opponent since July . Udall 's campaign manager dismissed his candidate 's fall in this week 's polls .