New poll shows Joe Walsh trailing Tammy Duckworth by nearly 10 points

A new poll released Monday spelled bad news for Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh in his re-election bid against Democrat Tammy Duckworth.

Duckworth, the disabled Iraqi War veteran, had 54 percent compared to Walsh’s 45 percent in an automated We Ask American poll of 1,010 likely voters in the 8th Congressional District. The survey, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, was taken Sunday.

“Walsh surprised many by keeping this race competitive as long as he did, but Duckworth’s campaign has taken advantage of Walsh’s without-exception pro-life views while whacking him for not paying child support,” the polling firm said in a statement on its website (http://weaskamerica.com/2012/10/29/end-in-sight/.)

“That one-two punch seems to have pushed Walsh over the edge where he now may be in a free fall,” said the group, which is affiliated with the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association.

Walsh’s campaign did not respond Monday to a message, seeking comment on the results, which came out along with another survey that showed Walsh trailing Duckworth.

The Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling found Duckworth leading Walsh by 54 to 40 percent in a poll of 500 likely voters in the suburban congressional district. The survey, taken last Thursday and Friday, carried a margin of error of 4.4 percent.

The poll was commissioned by CREDO SuperPAC, which has targeted Walsh for defeat.

Both polls come after a Chicago Sun-Times report Saturday about a conservative SuperPAC, the Now or Never SuperPAC, opting against pumping another $2.5 million into Walsh’s campaign after plowing $2 million into it earlier.