Weprin Leads Turner By Six Points In Sienna College Poll

A Sienna College poll, released Wednesday morning, gives Assemblyman David Weprin a six-point lead over businessman Bob Turner in the race for the Ninth Congressional District.

With 48 percent of voters polled supporting Weprin and 42 percent supporting Turner, and 9 percent undecided, the race could still swing either way. The poll conducted surveyed 501 likely voters, and has a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points.

Despite the deficit, the poll contains quite a bit of good news for the Republican.

Among other issues, voters in the district said by a two-to-one margin that they would have wanted their representative to vote for the debt ceiling deal that passed Congress last week. Turner has said he would have voted yes on the deal, while Weprin maintains he would have voted “no,” along with much of New York’s congressional delegation.

In addition, 30 percent of respondents identifying as Democrats said they plan to vote for Turner.

“In a district with far more Democrats than Republicans, Turner is garnering the support of nearly one-third of Democrats,” pollster Steven Greenberg said. “He will have to do at least that well on Election Day to have a chance to win, while Weprin will need to bring Democrats ‘back home’ if he wants to crack the 50 percent mark.”

Weprin may be in some trouble in Brooklyn, the poll indicates. Votes in Kings County break 49 percent for Turner compared to just 43 percent for the Little Neck-based Democrat.

Among Queens voters, Weprin holds a 10-percentage point lead over Turner.

The biggest issue among voters, the poll says, is job creation. Forty-five percent of those polled said it should be the first priority for both candidates.

Turner released a statement on the poll, saying its findings reflect the sentiments he’s heard while pressing the flesh.

“This survey reflects exactly what I am hearing on the streets of Queens and Brooklyn.  Economic recovery and job growth are what matter to voters of all parties.  They want representatives in Congress with real-world business experience, not more career politicians,” Turner said. “I will work even harder in the next five weeks to lay out for them my pro-job-growth agenda and to earn their trust."

Weprin’s camp touted their six-point lead.

“This poll simply confirms what we already know—that David Weprin is winning this election because New Yorkers know they can trust him to protect Medicare and Social Security and reform the tax code to make millionaires and Big Oil pay their fair share,” said Weprin campaign spokesperson Elizabeth Kerr.