NY-09

GOP Pollster: Republican Ahead For Anthony Weiner House Seat

Eric Kleefeld | September 6, 2011, 2:45PM

NY-09 candidates Bob Turner (R) and David Weprin (D)

Republican polling firm Magellan Strategies has a new survey for next Tuesday's NY-09 special election to replace Anthony Weiner -- showing Republican candidate Bob Turner ahead of gaffe-prone Democrat David Weprin in this historically Democratic district.

The numbers: Turner 44.6%, Weprin 40.4%, plus 3.2% for Christopher Hoeppner of the Socialist Workers Party. The survey was conducted in one day, on September 1, and has a ±2.16% margin of error.

The survey found Weprin underperforming against what should be expected for a Democrat in the district. The poll asked a generic ballot question, several questions before the actual named-candidate horse race. That result found a generic Democrat leading in the district with 44.8%, with a generic Republican at 39.9%.

Read more »

special election

Democrat Leads Fundraising War In NY-9 Special Election

Benjy Sarlin | September 2, 2011, 10:41AM

NY-09 candidates Bob Turner (R) and David Weprin (D)

It's looking rough for Democrats in the race to replace Anthony Weiner, where a poll yesterday showed the contest for the left-leaning seat all tied up between Democrat David Weprin and Republican Bob Turner. But Weprin does have one feather in his cap: superior cash.

Per the New York Times, the latest filings show Weprin with $451,000 raised through August 24 versus only $204,000 for Turner, a number that includes $65,000 of the Republican businessman's own money.

The big question now is whether national Republicans sense a potential Scott Brown moment in the making and drop significant cash of their own at the last minute. The NRCC gave Turner a $5,000 donation, but they haven't unleashed the floodgates of advertising money that they have in other races and Karl Rove's American Crossroads is also silent so far.

special election

Upset Brewing? Poll Shows NY-9 Special Election Is Currently Tied

Benjy Sarlin | September 1, 2011, 6:17PM

NY-09 candidates Bob Turner (R) and David Weprin (D)

It's not looking good for Democrats in New York's 9th district, where voters will determine Anthony Weiner's successor on September 13th. A Republican-commissioned poll shows the race tied after a week in which Democratic nominee David Weprin fluffed a question on the size of the national debt.

The poll, by McLaughlin & Associates, found a 42-42 tie between Weprin and Republican Bob Turner among 300 likely voters surveyed. A poll last month by Siena University showed Weprin with a 46-40 lead, and even that was enough to raise alarm bells in the Democratic-leaning district.

Read more »

David Weprin

Gaffes Could Cost Democrats Anthony Weiner's Seat

Benjy Sarlin | August 31, 2011, 6:15AM

NY-09 candidates Bob Turner (R) and David Weprin (D)

Anthony Weiner's seat, which includes parts of Queens and Brooklyn, should be safe for Democrats, but the September 13 special election to replace him is proving surprisingly competitive. Democrat David Weprin is losing ground to Republican Bob Turner. Making matters worse for Democrats, Weprin has turned into a gaffe machine right as voters are tuning in for the final stretch.

The influential New York Daily News savaged Weprin over the weekend after he belly flopped on a simple question from their editors: what is the national debt? With a reported "deer in headlights" look, he twice guessed $4 trillion, about $10 trillion off from the correct answer. As cringe-worthy a moment as it was on its own, its impact is much worse in Weprin's case: he's been selling himself as a fiscal Mr. Fix-it, touting his eight years as chair of the City Council's finance committee as his top qualification.

Read more »

NY-09

Candidates Debate In Special Election For Weiner House Seat

Eric Kleefeld | August 23, 2011, 11:14AM

NY-09 candidates Bob Turner (R) and David Weprin (D)

The candidates for the NY-09 special election, to fill the seat vacated by the resignation of former Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner, met for a debate on Monday night. Along with disagreement over the country's fiscal issues and the social safety net, shots were taken on such topics as President Obama's call for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations based around the pre-1967 borders, and the long fought-over proposal for an Islamic community center near the World Trade Center site.

The New York Times reports on the debate between Democrat David Weprin and Republican Bob Turner:

Some topics discussed at the forum have already been talked about at length during the campaign: Mr. Turner criticized the Muslim community center planned near ground zero, calling it an unnecessary provocation, and Mr. Weprin emphasized his support for Israel and said he disagreed with President Obama for saying that Israel's pre-1967 border should be the basis for a peace agreement.

Read more »

NY-09

It's Baaaack: 'Ground Zero Mosque' Becomes Campaign Issue In Race For Weiner's Seat

Jillian Rayfield | August 12, 2011, 6:00AM

NY-09 candidates Bob Turner (R) and David Weprin (D)

If you thought the controversy over New York City's Cordoba House Islamic Center was long over, Republican NY-09 candidate Bob Turner wants you to think again.

Read more »