So says Politico:
Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar has fallen behind state Treasurer Richard Mourdock by five points, according to a new poll released exclusively to POLITICO.
The survey, taken Tuesday and Wednesday by Wenzel Strategies on behalf of Citizens United, places Mourdock at 44 percent and Lugar at 39 percent. Nearly 17 percent remain undecided with just 12 days to go until the Indiana Senate primary.
Citizens United is backing Mourdock in the May 8 contest.
Wenzel found that Mourdock’s lead is powered by self-described tea party conservatives, who comprise 36 percent of the GOP electorate.
UPDATE: In an e-mail to the press, Lugar’s campaign manager, Emily Krueger, responds to the news:
All along, the Mourdock campaign has been fueled by special interests from outside the State of Indiana — and this poll is just another example. Our internal polling shows Dick Lugar is, was and will remain in the lead. Our polling also shows Richard Mourdock’s unfavorable ratings growing rapidly. The more Hoosiers learn about Mourdock, the less they trust him. At the end of the day, this race will be decided by Hoosiers and not by D.C.-based special interest polls.