Former Congressman Bob Schaffer (R) and Congressman Mark Udall (D)—vying for the open seat vacated by retiring Senator Wayne Allard, a Republican—are virtually tied when likely Colorado voters consider their state’s 2008 Senate election. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds Schaffer with 42% of the vote while Udall earns 41%.

Allard is one of five GOP incumbents who have so far decided not to stand for re-election in 2008.

Like the Senate race, the presidential race here is not yet tilting greatly toward either major party, at least not when Senator Hillary Clinton is the proposed foil to four major Republican candidates.

The survey also finds that Clinton trails both former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Senator John McCain by four points in proposed general-election match-ups. In each case, the GOP contender leads the former First Lady 44% to 40%. But Senator Clinton is just a point behind former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in Colorado (42% to 41%) and she has a three-point lead over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (43% to 40%).

As in most other states, President George W. Bush gets a failing grade from a plurality of Colorado voters. Forty-six percent (46%) say he’s doing a Poor job while just 36% rate his performance as Good or Excellent.

When considering the slate of Republican candidates, a plurality of 35% think Giuliani has the best shot at winning the GOP nomination. No other candidate comes close.

That a large plurality think Clinton will win the nomination doesn't mean they believe she is the best candidate for their state. Nineteen percent (19%) say former Senator John Edwards is "most in tune with" the needs of Colorado; 18% say Senator Barack Obama; just 15% say Clinton.

On the Republican side, McCain is seen as “most in tune with” Colorado’s needs by 19%, while Giuliani and former Senator Fred Thompson are each selected by 14%.

The War in Iraq and the Economy are tied at 21% as the Most Important Issue in the 2008 presidential campaign.

Seventeen percent (17%) say their top issue is Immigration, and most Colorado voters generally favor a get-tougher approach to illegal immigration, with 59% agreeing that illegal immigrants should be deported when discovered. Republicans are most likely (70%) to say so, Democrats least likely (45%); unaffiliated voters are in between (58%).

Eighty percent (80%) of Colorado voters believe that English should be the official language of the United States and 71% believe employers should be allowed to require their workforce to speak English on the job.

Seventeen percent (17%) of Colorado voters believe that undocumented immigrants should be allowed to get a drivers’ license, but 75% oppose that policy. Nationwide, 77% oppose drivers’ licenses for undocumented immigrants.

The survey was conducted in partnership with Fox Television Stations, Inc.

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