October 06, 2014 05:05 PM UTC

CBS/NYT: Udall 45%, Gardner 42%

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• by: Colorado Pols

We didn't want to miss mention of a new poll out this weekend from CBS and the New York Times, showing Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Udall with a three-point lead on Republican Cory Gardner–still well within the poll's +/- 3% margin of error. Here are your toplines:

Interestingly, this month's CBS/NYT poll shows the same three-point lead for Udall as last month's, but the number of undecided voters has actually increased by a percentage point. In September, Udall's lead was 46-43%, where today his lead is 45-42%. Small respondent differences can of course easily account for this, but that continues to illustrate how close the race is–and will likely remain all the way down the stretch.

That said, holding this three-point lead is news Team Udall can feel good about, especially when you drill down into the details. Among respondents who are considered "moderates," Udall is winning 52-29. Because moderate voters are once again likely to decide the outcome of elections in Colorado, this is very good news for Udall — and an indicator that voters believe Gardner to be a strongly partisan candidate.