Oppenheimer With Huge Lead In Siena Poll
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- October
- 8
Republican incumbent Sens. James Alesi and Dale Volker of western New York hold huge leads against their Democratic opponents, while Democratic Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer maintains a major lead against her Republican foe, a Siena College poll released this morning found.
You can read the poll here.
The poll, however, found that a major upset may be in the making that could help Republicans maintain control of the chamber after Election Day.
Republican challenger Dennis Delano holds a 13-percentage-point lead over Democratic incumbent William Stachowski in a Buffalo district with a more than 2-to-1 Democratic enrollment edge.
Siena polled the four races as heated battles for control of the Senate head into the final weeks of the campaigns. Republicans hold a 31-to-29-seat majority, yet at least a half dozen races around New York will determine who takes control on Jan. 1.
Today’s poll largely spells good news for Republicans after a Siena poll last month found that Republicans have tight battles for seats in Long Island, Queens and western New York.
This poll, though, focused on what are considered by political insiders as more secondary races, showing that Republican incumbents in heavily Republican districts appear safe.
Alesi has a nearly three-to-one, 62-21 percent, lead over Democratic challenger David Nachbar in a district that covers the eastern Monroe County suburbs. Nachbar has already run two television ads in the district, but the poll found that Alesi, first elected in 1996, with a double digit lead even among Democrats.
The news wasn’t as good for Republican candidate Liz Feld, Larchmont’s mayor, who is seeking to beat Oppenheimer, an 11-term incumbent.
Oppenheimer has a 61-24 percent lead over Feld in a district where Democrats have an enrollment edge. And while Feld has tried to hammer Oppenheimer for missing a key vote to approve a property-tax cap, the poll found that voters in the Westchester district still find Oppenheimer better on tax issues by a 41 percent to 26 percent margin.
“Feld would have to make up a lot of ground against a popular opponent in an overwhelmingly Democratic district in only four weeks,” said poll spokesman Steve Greenberg.
But Feld’s spokesman dismissed the poll.
“With due respect to Siena students, these numbers are completely out of line with our information about the race,” said spokesman William O’Reilly.ÂÂ “Any 25-year incumbent whose constituents pay the highest taxes in America and get the least school funding in return is running against time. ”
Volker, first elected in 1975 to the Senate, holds a 17-point, 50-33 percent, lead over Democrat Kathy Konst, the poll found. Volker covers a district that stretches across Erie, Livingston, Wyoming and Ontario counties.
The polls were conducted Sept. 30 through Oct. 5 of about 400 likely voters, and each had a margin of error of about 4.9 percent.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, October 8th, 2008 at 9:44 am by Joseph Spector.
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Democrats in that district without knowledge of the
candidate will default to the incumbent…in the next
four weeks those numbers should change…although John
McCain is not making it any easier
I see Liz Feld everywhere. Suzi has been in office since I can remember but she is no where to be seen. Polls are wrong all the time.
The tax issue will take Oppenheimer down.
This is just a clear attempt by the liberals to say “were winning”. The bottom line is any idoit will see that polls in state senate races do not mean a thing. Siena’s poll is completely flawed and I would bet my house money on Feld to win.
last time i checked more than 400 people lived in the 37th senatorial district.
This poll shows that voters in this district won’t be bought. Westchester citizens vote for candidates like Suzi Oppenheimer who have integrity and substance- two qualities they’re clearly not seeing in Feld. Her campaign has been a disgusting display of Washington Republican filth. Oppenheimer hasn’t been silent, she’s just keeping Liz in the mud. Who wants to send that filth to Albany, with or without lipstick?
anonymous…too bad you can’t make a political defense
of your candidate without throwing mud at republicans
in washington whom apparently you don’t like..maybe
you like paying the highest property taxes in the nation
that certainly is your right ..but i am betting others
in that district don;t quite agree with you..
The polls are right. Suzi will win comfortably. People aren’t stupid – they’re just more in favor of Democrats than Republican bloggers want to admit.
People aren’t stupid, but they’re sure going broke fast, thanks to the big spenders up in Albany and in Westchester. Get your school tax bill yet? Get your bib out and be ready to puke. If any Republicans want to go along with their profligacy, out with them, too.
Suzi is a joke. She lost her energy and doesn’t do ANYTHING. I may not agree with Liz on every issue, but I know she will go to Albany to advocate for Westchester. In fact, she kind of reminds me of a young Suzi. Out with lazy incumbents! We are all broke!
hey anon- why don’t you get educated and read all that Suzi Oppenheimer has done on her website, http://suzi2008.com
Fact is, Feld is unpopular even in her own Village. She destroyed a very healthy Republican party. When Bialo ran for mayor, there were 250 people at the caucus. When Feld held a caucus recently, only 10 people showed up. And a lot of those were her family! She wouldn’t even get elected had she not created her own party and run with a Democrat.
It’s Liz that’s the sad joke– is she the best the Republican/ Conservatives can come up with?