Politics on the Hudson

Former Congressman John Hall is slated to receive the 8th Jim Gordon Award for Excellence in Public Service next month from the Putnam Valley Democratic Committee. The award is named for Gordon, a former Putnam County legislator who died in 2003.

According to the committee, the “award continues to honor his (Gordon’s) dedication as a public servant who served both the town and the county in many capacities. The award is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to Putnam Valley through public service in an elected or appointed position.”

Hall, a Democrat, served two terms in the House of Representatives before losing to Rep. Nan Hayworth, R-Mount Kisco, in 2010.

In case anyone is wondering what former Democratic Congressman John Hall has been up to since leaving Congress, apparently it’s music.

Hall lost his bid for a third term in November to Rep. Nan Hayworth, R-Mount Kisco.

Rep. Eric Cantor has endorsed Dr. Nan Hayworth in her run against Rep. John Hall, D-Dover Plains. From the Hayworth campaign:

Republican Whip Eric Cantor says Hayworth will be vital part of new Congress

MONROE – Republican Whip Eric Cantor electrified Republican supporters when he said Nan Hayworth would be a vital part of a new Congress that will help rebuild the nation’s economy.

“This is one of the most decisive races in one of the most important elections in our lifetime,” Rep. Cantor told Hayworth supporters gathered at the Monroe home of Don Beeler. “A new Republican majority is going to be a majority that listens to the people. People are out of work and they want to get back to work. And Nancy Pelosi should be out of work next year.”

Orange County leaders Ed Diana, the county executive, and Bill DeProspo, Republican Party chairman for the county, also gave their enthusiastic backing to Hayworth at the Friday afternoon gathering. They said she will be the partner needed in Washington to help restore the economy. Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt and Assemblywoman Nancy Calhoun, as well as Sheriff Carl DuBois, joined the gathering.

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino endorsed Hayworth on Thursday. Both he and Diana have been aggressive in seeking to keep their respective county governments on a sound fiscal footing.

As for Hall, he’s with former President Bill Clinton tonight.

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino endorsed Republican Dr. Nan Hayworth in her run for Congress against Rep. John Hall, D-Dover Plains. From the Hayworth campaign:

“We have right now, in Washington and Albany, a train wreck,” Astorino said Thursday with Hayworth and other Republican candidates at his side. “The politics in Washington, the politics in Albany, are destroying the dreams of a lot of people. We have a chance in five days to change that.”

Astorino, also a Republican, upset a long-time incumbent to take over the county executive’s job. Many believe that his election was a portent of greater Republicans wins across New York, after years in which the trend was headed the other way. Across the state, the 19th seat is emblematic as one of those that could shift and help Republicans regain the majority in the House.

Today, several of Hayworth’s former patients came out to support her. She is a a retired ophthalmologist.

Republican Dr. Nan Hayworth, a retired ophthalmologist, has been endorsed by the Rockland County PBA, her campaign announced today. Hayworth is trying to unseat Rep. John Hall, D-Dover Plains.

Rockland County PBA endorses Nan Hayworth in NY-19; adding to backing from virtually every law enforcement association in region

The Rockland County PBA has endorsed Nan Hayworth in her race for the Congressional seat in New York’s 19th District over John Hall.

The endorsement by the RCPBA is but the latest in a long string of law enforcement associations to back Hayworth. She hailed their work in communities across the region as “protecting the framework of liberty” and said she is proud to have their backing. Hayworth, a fiscal conservative, has met personally with a large number of police and correction officers across the district to discuss their concerns about the district and nation.

Other law enforcement groups to throw their backing to Hayworth include:

The Empire State Lodge of the NYS Fraternal Order of Police
New York State Association of Chiefs of Police
Dutchess County Lodge #333 of the FOP
New York City PBA
NY State Supreme Court Officers Association
Police Conference of New York
NY State Troopers PBA
Westchester County Correction Officers Benevolent Association
Affiliated Police Associations of Westchester County.

In other news from the 19th Congressional District, there’s the Siena poll released today and yesterday’s visit by Andrew Cuomo.

Democratic Rep. John Hall gained 4 points in his race against Republican challenger Nan Hayworth over the past two weeks, but the race for the Hudson Valley’s 19th Congressional District seat remains a dead heat.

A new Siena Research Institute poll released this morning shows Hall leading Hayworth 47 percent to 46 percent, well within the poll’s 3.8 percentage-point margin of error.

Hayworth led Hall 46 percent to 43 percent in a Siena poll earlier this month.
Both polls confirm political handicappers’ assessments that the race is tossup.

Republicans hope to pick up as many as eight House seats in New York in their quest to regain majority control of the House. They need to gain at least 39 seats nationwide to do that.

“This has the potential to be one of the closest races in the nation and might not be decided till very late next Tuesday — or maybe even later than that,” Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said.

Ninety-three percent of likely voters said they’re at least fairly certain whom they’ll vote for, leaving only a small segment of the electorate undecided.

Hall leads among independent voters 48 percent to 47 percent, according to the telephone survey of 651 likely  voters conducted Saturday through Tuesday.  Hayworth had led 46 percent to 39 percent among indepdendent voters in the earlier poll.

Hayworth leads among independent voters 46 percent to 39 percent, according to the telephone survey of 651 likely voters conducted Saturday through Tuesday.

Greenberg said Hall’s gains over the last two weeks mostly came from independent voters.

“Hall continues to have a high single-digit lead in Rockland and Westchester counties,’’ Greenberg said. “Hayworth continues to lead in Orange County, although the lead is down to seven points from 21 points. And the battleground counties of Dutchess and Putnam continue to divide their votes nearly evenly.’’

Hall is focusing on Orange County this Saturday, with a public rally at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union hall in Harriman that will feature former President Bill Clinton and musician Joe Bouchard of Blue Oyster Cult.

Meanwhile, Hayworth has tapped into voter dissatisfaction that has driven the growth of the tea party movement.

Likely voters who have a favorable opinion of the tea party prefer Hayworth over Hall 84 percent to 12 percent. But voters in the district are deeply divided over the tea party, which had a 44 percent favorable 46 percent unfavorable rating in the new poll.

By two-to-one, 62 percent to 31 percent, likely voters think the country is on the wrong track.
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Republican Chris Gibson has erased the 17-point deficit he held in mid-September and now leads freshman Democratic Rep. Scott Murphy by 9 points in the race the upper Hudson Valley’s 20th Congressional District seat, according to a Siena Research Institute poll released this morning.
Gibson’s 51 to 42 percent lead among likely voters in the Siena poll validates a private poll his campaign released last week showing him with a small lead over Murphy.
The 20th CD race has long been considered one of the key contests for Republicans in their effort to pick up at least 39 seats nationwide to regain majority control of the House. Up to eight House seats in New York are considered by Republicans as possible pickups.
Former President Bill Clinton plans to campaign with Murphy Monday as part of the final get-out-the-vote drive the day before the election.
Clinton also plans to attend a rally Friday evening in Utica for embattled Democratic Rep. Mike Arcuri, who is facing a strong challenge from construction company owner Richard Hanna.
And on Saturday Clinton will travel to an electrical workers union hall in Harriman to join Democratic Rep. John Hall of Dover, who is being challenged by Republican Nan Hayworth, an ophthalmologist from northern Westchester County.
Siena’s previous poll of likely voters in the 20th district – which stretches from Lake Placid south to part of Dutchess County – found the incumbent Democrat with a commanding 54 percent to 37 percent lead.
Murphy, a venture capital investor from Glens Falls, won a special election for the seat by only 726 votes in March of last year after the seat was vacated by Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand’s appointment to the Senate.
However, last month’s Siena poll also found 65 percent of likely voters didn’t know Gibson, a retired Army colonel from Kinderhook who is the Republican challenger. That’s changed over the last four weeks with relentless advertising by both campaigns as well as outside advocacy groups.
Only 24 percent of likely voters in the new poll indicated they didn’t have an opinion of Gibson. And a plurality of 46 percent viewed him favorably compared to 30 percent who held an unfavorable opinion.
Gillibrand remains popular in the district, with a 61 percent to 34 percent, favorable-unfavorable rating, virtually unchanged from last month.
But President Barack Obama’s favorability rating has plummeted 10 points, from 51 to 41 percent, over the last month among like voters in the district.
The Siena survey of 676 likely voters was conducted Saturday through Monday and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

Former President Bill Clinton will headline a rally over in Orange County Saturday evening for Rep. John Hall, D-Dover Plains. Hall is seeking a third term and is facing a challenge from Dr. Nan Hayworth, a retired ophthalmologist from Mount Kisco. The nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report has the race as a toss-up.

John Hall Welcomes President Bill Clinton for:
Moving The Hudson Valley Forward Rally

IBEW Local 363
67 Commerce Drive South
Harriman, NY 10926

Beacon, NY – Former President Bill Clinton will visit the Hudson Valley to rally supporters for Rep. John Hall SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30 at 7:30pm at the IBEW Local 363, 67 Commerce Drive South.  President Clinton will speak to supporters about why Rep. John Hall is the right choice to represent them and highlight the choice voters have in this election.

WHO:   U.S. Rep. John Hall, President Bill Clinton and musical guests.

WHAT:   Moving The Hudson Valley Forward Rally for John Hall supporters featuring President Bill Clinton.

WHERE:  IBEW Local 363, 67 Commerce Drive South, Harriman, NY 10926

WHEN:   SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30 at 7:30pm

It’s the second appearance Clinton is making this election season on behalf of Hall. He appeared last month at a fundraiser for the congressman.

Democratic Rep. John Hall and Republican challenger Nan Hayworth are tied at 43 percent each among likely voters in a new poll conducted by Penn Schoen Berland.

The phone survey of 416 likely voters in the Hudson Valley’s 19th Congressional District was conducted Tuesday through Thursday of last week.

It’s part of The Hill 2010 Midterm Election Poll of key congressional races around the country.

The polling also found Democratic Rep. Mike Arcuri leads Republican challenger Richard Hanna by 10 points, 47 percent to 37 percent,  in the 24th Congressional District covering central New York and part of the Southern Tier.  That phone survey of 400 likely voters had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.

Both the 19th and the 24th Congressional Districts are considered by Republicans among their top opportunities to pick up seats on Nov. 2 and regain majority control of the House.

Today’s polling sponsored by The Hill looked at 10 second term Democrats who are in tossup races.

Arcuri was the only one of the 10 incumbent Democrats to have a lead that went beyond the poll’s margin of error.

First a RNN-TV/Westchester County Association poll said it. Then a Siena College poll did. Now, it’s Monmouth University Polling Institutes’s turn.

In the election for New York’s 19 Congressional District, incumbent John Hall is in a virtual tie  with his challenger Nan Hayworth.  The Monmouth University Poll finds the incumbent Democrat with  49% of the vote and the Republican with 48% among likely voters in this district.

Last week, a Siena poll found Rep. Hall, the Democrat, and Dr. Hayworth, the Republican,“waging a neck-and-neck race, as 46 percent of likely voters are currently backing Hayworth and 43 percent favor Hall.” That came after the RNN-TV/Westchester County Association poll showed the two in a “dead heat” with each having 42 percent of voters surveyed in their favor.

Here’s the Monmouth survey.

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