Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Bill Ritter would probably defeat Republican opponent Bob Beauprez if the election were held today, according to a poll conducted for The Denver Post.

But Ritter's edge is slim, leading Beauprez by only 7 percentage points, with 42 percent to the Arvada congressman's 35 percent. The poll, conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Nearly one-fourth of the 625 people polled were unsure whom they would support in November. Those undecided voters are divided almost equally between genders and political affiliations.

About this Poll
This telephone poll was conducted statewide Wednesday and Thursday by mason-Dixon Polling and Research. All those interviewed were selected at random and said they regularly vote in state elections. Thirty-six percent of those interviewed are registered Democrats, 40 percent registered Republicans and 24 percent independent. Pollster Brad Coker of Mason-Dixon said that while those samples do not correspond with registration in the state, they roughly correspond with each group's representation at the polls in recent elections. Additionally, 82 percent of those pollsed said they were white, 13 percent Hispanic, 4 percent black and other races accounted for 8 percent. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.