Freshman Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R-N.Y.), whose re-election prospects were damaged by redistricting, begins the race with a slight lead, according to a GOP poll obtained by Roll Call.

Buerkle led former Rep. Dan Maffei 42 percent to 38 percent, while 20 percent were undecided in the poll of 400 likely general election voters in the reconfigured 24th district.

Buerkle struggled mightily with fundraising during her first year in Congress. But her allies say her operation has turned around. They point to the fact that she raised $238,000 in the first quarter of the year, the most she’s raised in any quarter of her political career. But after posting dismal numbers ($89,000 in the third quarter of 2011), it’s a dubious achievement.

Still, with this poll, the conventional wisdom about Buerkle and her low chances of coming back to Washington, D.C., in January may begin to change.

The McLaughlin & Associates survey, conducted by live telephone interview April 16-17, had a margin of error of 4.9 points.