(Updated 11:17 a.m.) Democrat Dan Malloy leads Republican Tom Foley by nine percentage points in the latest Quinnipiac University poll on the governor’s race.

The poll of likely voters found Malloy leading Foley 50 to 41 percent.

Eight percent of the 875 voters surveyed were undecided and 26 percent of those who name a candidate say they could change their mind by Nov. 2. The poll can’t be compared with previous polls because it included likely voters, not just registered voters who may or may not vote in the election.

This week’s Rasmussen Reports poll saw Malloy’s support drop to 7 percentage points. In that poll Malloy received 46 percent and Foley received 39 percent of the vote from the survey of 500 likely voters.  A Rasmussen Report survey of 500 likely voters conducted immediately after the Aug. 10 primary found Malloy leading Foley by 15 percentage points.

Independent voters are evenly split 42-42 percent between the two candidates. However, Malloy, the former mayor of Stamford, leads 53 – 38 percent among women and 48 – 43 percent among men. Watch the video to find out if that’s significant.

“The big difference between the Governor’s race and the Senate race is that the gubernatorial candidates are much less well-known than the Senate candidates,” Quinnipiac University Poll Director Doug Schwartz said. “Tom Foley and Dan Malloy will have a tough time competing for attention with Linda McMahon and Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.”

  “As the trailing candidate, getting more attention is especially important for Foley,” Schwartz added. “Key to deciding the Governor’s race are independent voters, especially the 16 percent of independents who are undecided right now.”

Connecticut voters have a 46 – 21 percent favorable opinion of Malloy, with 30 percent who haven’t heard enough about him to form an opinion. Foley gets a 34 – 24 percent favorability, with 39 percent who haven’t formed an opinion.

“All of the momentum is in our favor, it’s not unexpected,” Foley said of Wednesday’s poll. “We have all of the issues on our side so as the voters get to pay attention to the race and get to understand the candidates and where they stand on the issues…that gap will narrow.”

Asked why Independent gubernatorial candidate and Chester First Selectman Tom Marsh wasn’t included in the poll, Schwartz said, “we don’t include all the third party candidates.”

“We look fundraising, news media coverage, inclusion in televised debates, inclusion in other polls, so we’ll keep an eye on it,” Schwartz said.

“While my exclusion was not unexpected, it is unacceptable,” Marsh said.

Aside from winning ballot access he has also been asked to participate in at least 10 debates and forums.

The poll was conducted from Sept. 8 to 12 and has a 3.3 plus or minus margin of error.