I may start to pull for Gore. <g> JLA
Poll: Bradley surge continues in New York
Oct. 2, 1999 | 4:24 p.m.
By MARC HUMBERT AP Political Writer
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Democrat Bill Bradley has a 51 percent to 32 percent lead over Republican Gov. George W. Bush of Texas among potential New York voters, according to a statewide poll released Saturday.
The poll from the Quinnipiac College Polling Institute found Bush in a statistical dead heat with Vice President Al Gore among New York voters surveyed.
And while Bradley and Gore remained in a statistical tie among New York Democrats, the momentum appeared to be in Bradley's favor on that front as well.
In the latest survey, 44 percent of Democrats said they favored the former senator from New Jersey while 41 percent backed the vice president. A Quinnipiac poll from early August had Gore leading Bradley, 47 percent to 38 percent.
A poll released two weeks ago by the Hamden, Conn.-based pollsters had Bradley leading Bush, 47 percent to 37 percent, with Bush and Gore statistically tied.
The bad news for Bush and Gore came on the eve of new forays into New York for both. Bush, the Republican front-runner, is to fly across upstate New York on Monday with New York Gov. George Pataki, a potential running mate. Gore is to visit the Albany area on Monday.
''Governor Bush's slip is showing as he prepares to introduce himself to New York voters,'' Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac polling institute, said.
New York is considered a must-win state for Democrats if they are to retain the White House and the state's early March 7 primary gives it added importance.
With Bradley gaining ground in key early primary states like New York and New Hampshire, and raising money faster than the vice president, Gore announced Wednesday that he was revamping his campaign and moving it from Washington to Nashville, Tenn.
While Bradley spokesman Eric Hauser said ''the last thing we're going to do is take anything for granted,'' he said the poll ''represents the progress we've been making in New York.'' Hauser said the poll ''reflects the feeling that Democrats want a nominee who can win.''
Gore spokesman Peter Ragone said, ''We're in a tough campaign in Bradley's backyard and Al Gore knows it. But he's taking this campaign to the grassroots, working his heart and soul out.''
The latest Quinnipiac telephone poll of 1,049 registered New York voters was conducted Sept. 24-30 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The polling based on the sample of 452 registered Democrats has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.
The Quinnipiac poll also indicated that New Yorkers are looking less favorably on the vice president than they did just a few weeks ago. While Gore was rated favorably by 31 percent of New York voters in early August, that slipped to 24 percent in the latest poll. Bush's favorability rating was also down slightly.
AP-CS-10-02-99 1652EDT
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