Former Senate aide Betsy Markey (D) led Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R) yet again in a new poll gauging their prospects in Colorado’s 4th district, with the challenger ahead of the incumbent by 9 points in the Democratic survey.

The partisan poll was conducted by the Democratic firm Grove Insight for EMILY’s List, a group that supports pro-abortion-rights Democratic female candidates. Conducted Sept. 8-10, the poll of 400 likely voters found Markey leading Musgrave 41 percent to 32 percent; when leaners were included, Markey’s lead was 47 percent to 38 percent.

The error margin was 4.9 points.

An automated poll conducted for Roll Call in mid-August found Markey to have a similar lead over Musgrave — despite the GOP lean of the northern Colorado 4th district, which has been held by a Republican since the early 1970s.

The Musgrave campaign dismissed the poll as partisan, while also attacking Markey on ethical grounds. Markey previously served as a district director for Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.), and Republicans in the past week have stepped up attacks on her business dealings as they relate to her service in Salazar’s office, claiming she continued to receive government contracts under false pretenses during that time.

“EMILY’s List; sure, among all Democratic anti-life women [Musgrave] is down by nine,” said the Congresswoman’s campaign spokesman, Jason Thielman. “Although, I suspect even Democratic anti-life women would not send a person to Congress who violates federal regulations, Senate ethic rules and misrepresents her company to secure government contracts from other legitimately owned women businesses.”

Markey has vehemently denied Republicans’ charges that her business improperly won government contracts.