With congressional primaries about three weeks away, Republican John Faso and Democrat Zephyr Teachout have large leads over their rivals, according to Time Warner Cable News/Siena College polls released June 7.
Faso of Kinderhook, a former minority leader in the state Assembly and unsuccessful candidate for governor, is ahead of Millbrook businessman Andrew Heaney 50 percent to 28 percent, according to the poll. Teachout, a Clinton resident, author and law professor who unsuccessfully primaried Andrew Cuomo for governor in 2014, leads her opponent, Town of Livingston deputy supervisor, farmer and journalist Will Yandik by an even-larger 53 percent to 23 percent margin. GOP undecideds came in at 21 percent of those polled; that figure for the Democrats is 24 percent. Primaries in New York’s 19th Congressional District are scheduled for Tuesday, June 28.
“It’s great to get positive feedback but I’m going to keep working to earn every vote,” stated Zephyr Teachout Wednesday.
“We are pleased that the results of the Siena poll confirm what our own polls have been telling us,” stated Faso spokesman Dain Pascocello in an email sent by the campaign Wednesday. The poll Pascocello cited was an in-house poll finding Faso in front 51-32, with 17 percent undecided. “John Faso has concrete ideas to improve the economy, fix Washington’s broken system and address problems facing the 19th Congressional district — and people recognize that. That said, we will continue to work hard to win the trust, confidence and support of GOP voters,” stated Pascocello.
Among likely Republican voters, the poll found Faso has a 47-30 percent favorability rating, compared to Heaney’s negative 29-45 percent favorability rating; both are unknown to about one-quarter of Republicans, according to the poll. Among likely Democratic voters, Teachout, according to the poll, has a 64-10 percent favorability rating, compared to 38-9 percent for Yandik. While Teachout is unknown to about one-quarter of Democrats, Yandik is unknown to more than half, the poll found.
“With three weeks until primary day, Zephyr Teachout has the support of more than half of likely Democratic primary voters and a commanding 30-point lead,” stated Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg in the press release announcing the poll. “In Ulster and Dutchess counties, which is expected to account for nearly half of the votes in this Democratic primary, Teachout leads Yandik by more than 40 points, while holding double-digit leads in the remainder of the district. While moderate Democrats, who comprise less than one-third of the electorate, provide Teachout with only a 13-point lead, among liberal Democrats, she leads by more than 40 points.”
“On the Republican side, John Faso leads Andrew Heaney by 22 points, built from a 14-point lead among moderate Republicans — about one-third of the electorate — and a 25-point lead among conservatives, who comprise about two-thirds of the electorate,” Greenberg stated. “While the race is very tight in Ulster and Dutchess counties, which will produce about one-third of the voters, Faso enjoys a 19-point lead in the more southern portion of the district and a commanding 41-point lead in the five northern counties of the district.”
The surveys were conducted May 31-June 2, 2016 by telephone calls to 436 likely Republican primary voters and 431 likely Democratic primary voters. The results have a margin of error of plus-or-minus 4.8 percent for the Republicans and plus-or-minus 4.7 percent for the Democrats. Both landlines and cell phones were called, pollsters said.
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