Elise Stefanik Leads in New York Primary Poll

Doheny trailed in a new poll. (CQ Roll Call File Photo)
Doheny trailed in a new poll. (CQ Roll Call File Photo)
Posted June 19, 2014 at 4:29pm

Former White House aide Elise Stefanik is in a strong position to win Tuesday’s GOP primary in an upstate New York district, according to a new poll.  

Stefanik led 45 percent to 37 percent for businessman Matt Doheny in the automated poll conducted by Republican firm Harper Polling. The poll follows more than $1 million in outside spending in the 21st District on Stefanik’s behalf.  

Doheny is slightly better known in the district, but 41 percent of respondents had a negative view him while 39 percent viewed him favorably. Nearly half of all those surveyed, 49 percent, said they had a positive image of Stefanik while 29 percent had a negative opinion of her. Thirty-five percent of respondents identified themselves as “very conservative.” An additional 37 percent said they were “somewhat conservative,” 23 percent said they were moderate and 4 percent liberal.  

The poll surveyed 498 voters June 17-18 and had a 4.4-point margin of error. It did not test hypothetical matchups with the presumptive Democratic nominee, documentary filmmaker Aaron Woolf.  

This is a race to replace retiring Democratic Rep. Bill Owens. The race is rated Tossup by Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.  

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated Doheny’s support in the survey.