Two new Quinnipiac University polls, conducted for the Wall Street Journal and WashingtonPost.com, out today show good news for Senate Republicans, as one of their incumbents looks safer and as an open seat looks like a tougher battle for Democrats than previously suspected.

The polls surveyed 1,425 likely voters in Colorado for a margin of error of +/- 2.6% and 1,261 likely voters in Minnesota for a margin of error of +/- 2.8%. Both polls were conducted between 7/14-22. In Colorado, Democratic Rep. Mark Udall and ex-Rep. Bob Schaffer, the Republican, were tested. In Minnesota, Republican Senator Coleman and his Democratic opponent, satirist Al Franken, were tested.

General Election Matchups
(All / Dem / GOP / Ind / Men / Wom)
Udall............44 / 83 / 10 / 46 / 37 / 50 (-4 from last, 6/17-24)
Schaffer......44 / 7 / 82 / 38 / 54 / 35 (+6)

Coleman......53 / 19 / 94 / 55 / 58 / 48 (+2)
Franken.......38 / 73 / 3 / 32 / 35 / 41 (-3)

In last month's polls, the news was decidedly better for Democrats. Udall led by ten points in the 6/17-24 Quinnipiac survey, while Coleman's lead was ten instead of fifteen.

For more on the race, check out our post on The Scorecard from earlier today.