A Siena Research Institute poll released today indicates that Republican James Tedisco’s lead over Democrat Scott Murphy in a special election for the 20th Congressional District is shrinking.
45 percent of the 712 likely voters called indicated that they would cast their vote for Tedisco if the election were held today. 41 percent said they would vote for Murphy, and one percent said they supported Libertarian Eric Sundwall. The remaining 13 percent remain undecided, down from 20 percent when Siena ran the same poll on Feb. 26.
It is worth noting that Murphy picked up seven points in those two weeks, while Tedisco lost one. There was a 12-point gap between the two in last poll. Another significant finding is that Murphy has surpassed Tedisco with independent voters.
Murphy continues to do a better job of holding the support of Democrats than Tedisco does with Republics, said Steven Greenberg, spokesman for the Siena New York Poll. `The big turnaround from two weeks ago, however, is among independent voters, who previously gave Tedisco a 45 to 31 percent lead, and now favor Murphy by a 43 to 37 percent margin.`
Both campaigns released statements reacting to the poll:
`The facts are that Jim Tedisco has led in every single poll, he continues to lead and he is taking nothing for granted,` said Tedisco campaign spokesman Joshua Fitzpatrick. `Wall Street millionaire Scott Murphy has no record of public service, which is why he continues running from his murky past and keeps lying about Jim Tedisco.`
`While Scott continues to win over voters by focusing on jobs and turning our economy around, Tedisco keeps driving them away with his false and misleading attacks and refusal to give straight and honest answers on President Obama’s jobs and economic recovery package, the largest middle class tax cut in American history,` said Murphy campaign spokesman Ryan Rudominer.
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