Polls lagging, Lamont gives own campaign $2M

updated 1:32 p.m. ET Oct. 11, 2006

HARTFORD, Conn. - Behind in the polls, Democrat Ned Lamont has given $2 million to his campaign to unseat three-term Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman.

Lamont has contributed $8,751,500 of his own personal wealth to his Senate bid, including a $2 million check he wrote on Tuesday. The latest poll showed him trailing Lieberman, 48-40 percent, with Republican Alan Schlesinger at just 4 percent.

Lieberman launched an independent bid after losing the Democratic primary to anti-war challenger Lamont in August.

Politics of Iraq
Sixty percent of respondents in the Hartford Courant/University of Connecticut poll released Wednesday agreed with Lamont that going to war with Iraq was wrong. Lieberman, however, won support from nearly one-third of anti-war voters and 70 percent of those who supported the invasion.

Interactive 2006 key races The races to watch.

"Lieberman has managed to do exactly what he set out to do after his primary loss. His goal was to finesse the party issue by appealing to independents and Republicans without completely alienating Democratic voters," said Monika L. McDermott, the research director at the center. "He's pulled it off so far."

TV campaign
Both Lieberman and Lamont are spending heavily for television ad campaigns as the fall race intensifies. Lamont has criticized Lieberman for missing Senate votes in a new commercial. One Lieberman ad receiving heavy air play accuses the Greenwich millionaire of lacking the experience to be an effective senator.

POLITICAL RESOURCE Find your elected officials Issues and calls to action More of Your Government

Lamont's personal wealth has been estimated at between $90 million and $300 million, according to his campaign.

The telephone poll of 637 registered voters was conducted Oct. 4-9 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

MORE FROM POLITICS

Politics Section Front

Were Chinese agents at Gitmo? GOP decides ‘It’s the economy’ for 2010  Obama: Racial divisions still persist GOP's Graham emerges as pivotal player Sotomayor speeds toward confirmation Newsweek: What Palin should do to prep for 2012 CBO: Health bills to increase federal costs House Democrats discourage debates with GOP NYT analysis: Obama's next pick at stake FEC: No clothes-buying with campaign funds Politics Section Front   Add Politics headlines to your news reader: