Poll indicates Clinton-Lazio race tight entering final week
October 31, 2000
Web posted at: 3:25 PM EST (2025 GMT)
By Phil Hirschkorn/CNN
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican Rick Lazio are running neck and neck in their race for the U.S. Senate, according to a statewide poll released Tuesday -- one week before Election Day.
The Quinnipiac University poll of likely voters finds Clinton's support stands at 47 percent, compared to 44 percent for Lazio, a congressman from Long Island. The remaining 9 percent were undecided. The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Clinton's edge has slipped since the the last Quinnipiac survey released two weeks ago, which showed her ahead 50 percent to 43 percent.
"The good news for Lazio is Clinton is losing ground. The bad news for Lazio is he is barely gaining," said Maurice Carroll, Quinnipiac's polling director.
The survey of 1,009 likely voters was taken between Oct. 24 and Oct. 30. The candidates' third and final televised debate was broadcast Oct. 27.
The first lady remains the preferred candidate of 65 percent of New York City residents, who comprise about 30 percent of all likely voters.
Lazio has roughly a 10-point lead both upstate, where 45 percent of the likely voters live, and in the New York City suburbs, where 25 percent of likely voters live.
A New York Times/|CBS News poll of likely voters released Monday showed Clinton leading Lazio 49 percent to 41 percent.
Clinton campaigned in the Bronx and Brooklyn Tuesday morning, while Lazio campaigned in the Buffalo area before heading to afternoon events in the Ithaca-Binghamton region.
Lazio was buoyed Tuesday by the endorsement of New York Newsday. e newspaper described Clinton's major legislative foray, handling the president's 1993-94 health care plan, as "inept."
"We fear Clinton will not be a unifying figure on the Hill. That would not be good for New York," Newsday rote.
"Lazio is a decent man untouched by scandal; a skilled, tested legislative technician and a native son who can bring to the Senate a gut feel for New York that his opponent, by accident of birth, simply cannot match." the newspaper said.
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