In the latest Rasmussen Reports survey of the race for Colorado Governor, Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter (D) and GOP Representative Bob Beauprez remain essentially tied.

Beauprez now "leads" Ritter 39% to 37%, well within the survey's 4.5 percentage point margin of sampling error. In late March, Ritter edged out Beauprez 41% to 40%.

Beauprez is the favorite to win the Republican nomination over former University of Denver President Marc Holtzman (R). Holtzman trails Ritter by five percentage points, 41% to 36%.

Ritter is viewed favorably by 52% of likely voters, unfavorably by 25%. Beauprez is viewed favorably by 48%, unfavorably by 31%. Holtzman is viewed favorably by just 35% (a five-point drop since late March) and unfavorably by 33%, with 32% Not Sure what to think of him.

Among Republicans, Beauprez is viewed favorably by 69%, Holzman by 51%.

The Holtzman campaign has been hampered recently by questions about campaign expenditures and by campaign manager Dick Leggitt's admission that he fabricated poll results he gave to a reporter. But Colorado's primary is August 8, so Holtzman has a few months to play catch-up.

Though Coloradoans voted last year to let the state hold on to more of their tax money, 57% say tax increases hurt the economy. Fifty percent (50%) say tax cuts help, 21% that tax cuts hurt.

Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo (R) is one of the leading national spokesman for the enforcement first side of the immigration debate. Eighty-four percent (84%) of Colorado voters follow that debate somewhat or very closely. Seventy-three percent (73%) say we should control our borders and enforcing existing immigration law before considering on any further immigration reform.

Fifty-three percent (53%) say all immigrants should be welcomed but for criminals, security threats, and welfare seekers.

Only 34% agree that all illegal aliens in the country now should be forced to leave; 45% disagree. At the same time, 62% disagree that the child of an illegal immigration should automatically become a citizen if born in this country.

The rolling average of the last three Rasmussen Reports polls shows Ritter leading Beauprez by 2 percentage points, 39% to 37%. These figures confirm the tightness of the race at this time. With seven months to go until Election Day and more roughly 20% of Colorado voters undecided, this looks to be a wide open campaign. Ritter leads Holtzman in the three-poll average by eight percentage points, 41% to 33%.

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