The first Rasmussen Reports post-primary telephone survey of Likely Voters in Colorado shows a close U.S. Senate race between Republican challenger Ken Buck and incumbent Democratic Senator Michael Bennet.

Buck attracts 46% support, while Bennet picks up 41% of the vote. Five percent (5%) prefer some other candidate in the race, and seven percent (7%) remain undecided.

Both men won hotly contested party primaries on Tuesday, but Colorado Republicans appear to have come back together a bit quicker than Democrats. Buck now gets 88% support from GOP voters, while 79% of Democrats support Bennet. The Republican leads by just five points among voters not affiliated with either party.

These results are similar to those from before the primary.

Bennet was the Denver school superintendent who was named to the Senate early last year when Ken Salazar resigned to join President Obama’s Cabinet. A county prosecutor, Buck has consistently led Bennet in matchups back to March, capturing 44% to 48% of the vote. Bennet in those same surveys has earned 38% to 42% support.

Colorado is one of several Toss-Up states in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Senate Balance of Power rankings.

Voters in the state have a pessimistic view of the economy. Just four percent (4%) rate the economy as good, while 65% describe it as poor. Twenty-five percent (25%) say the economy is getting better, but twice as many (50%) say it’s getting worse.

Eighty-one percent (81%) of those who think the economy is improving support Bennet. Sixty-six percent (66%) of those who say it’s getting worse back Buck.

Seventy-six percent (76%) of all voters in the state say the United States is in a recession.

Voters nationally now blame President Obama’s policies just as much as President Bush’s for the nation’s current economic problems.