Politico: Dem closing in key N.Y. House race
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Dem closing in key N.Y. House race
Democrat Scott Murphy has slashed
into the huge lead once held by Republican Jim Tedisco in the New York special House
election scheduled for March 31, according to a new Democratic-sponsored poll.
Tedisco, the state Assembly minority leader, holds a 7-percentage-point
lead over Murphy, a 39-year-old venture capitalist, according to the late
February survey by the Benenson Strategy Group. The margin was 44 to 37 percent,
with Libertarian Eric Sundwall at 4 percent, and 15 percent of voters
undecided.The poll was paid for by the Democratic Congressional Campaign
Committee.
The poll was conducted Feb. 24-25, and included interviews
with 400 likely voters in the Upstate New York district.
Both Democratic
and GOP strategists see the Empire State special as a referendum on President
Obama's handling of the economy, including the $787 billion stimulus package.
More than 70 percent of voters responding to the poll said the economy was their
top concern, followed by health care at 33 percent and taxes at 19 percent.
Murphy and Tedisco are battling for seat of Democratic Sen. Kirsten
Gillibrand, who was appointed to the Senate by Gov. David Paterson to replace
Hillary Rodham Clinton.
