Click image for enlargement. Graphic by Mike Johnson. Brian Krolicki Bob Unger

Republican Brian Krolicki maintains a comfortable lead over Democrat Bob Unger in the race for lieutenant governor, according to a new poll by the Review-Journal.

Krolicki was favored by 45 percent of those surveyed, compared with Unger's 29 percent, according to the poll by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research of Washington, D.C. Eighteen percent were undecided.

The poll, conducted for the Review-Journal, reviewjournal.com and KVBC-TV, Channel 3, showed the gap between Krolicki and Unger unchanged since a late September poll in which Krolicki had 38 percent and Unger trailed with 22 percent.

Krolicki, who is term-limited out of his position as state treasurer, said he was pleased with the poll numbers that showed him avoiding the Republican downturn that has pushed many races closer than pundits originally predicted.

"Sweat and elbow grease and goodwill and quality time in office has spared us from partisan harm that has befallen some of my colleagues," he said.

Unger said of the poll numbers: "Obviously, I'm disappointed, but there's only one poll that counts, and that's in a week."

Brad Coker of Mason-Dixon Polling said Krolicki's lead was "fairly comfortable."

The 18 percent of people who are undecided is not unusual for a down-ballot office, particularly when it has been overshadowed by controversies in the gubernatorial race, Coker said.

The poll was conducted between Oct. 26 and Oct. 30 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Unger said the latest campaign finance report will show him having spent $540,000 of his own money on his campaign, and $350,000-$370,000 in contributions.

In the final week, he said he would continue to raise money. "Whatever I raise, I'll put in." He said he would spend a "limited" amount of his own money.

A first-time candidate, Unger, a developer, said the political process forces candidates to spend most of their time asking for money instead of focusing on issues.

"People talk about politicians being beholden to special interests, and all we do is let the system go on demanding that you be beholden to special interests," Unger said. "I thought issues would matter. It appears that the name of the game is spending most of your time raising money."

Unger said that issues such as putting spending limits on campaigns or publicly funding campaigns should be examined.

With Krolicki's strong lead and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dina Titus within the margin of error in her race against Republican Jim Gibbons, brings forward the possibility that the state could have a Republican lieutenant governor and Democratic governor.

Historian Michael Green called this situation "inherently uncomfortable."

The last time the state had its No. 1 and No. 2 positions held by members of opposing parties was between 1994 to 1998, when Republican Lonnie Hammargren was lieutenant governor and Democrat Bob Miller was governor. On one occasion, Hammargren tried to appoint a county commissioner while Miller was out of state, though a court overturned that appointment.