SYRACUSE -- There are less than eight weeks until Election Day and former Democratic Representative Dan Maffei and incumbent Republican Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle are virtually tied in the race for the new 24th Congressional District, according to a Siena Research Institute poll.
Rep. Buerkle narrowly defeated Maffei in 2010 by less than 700 votes. The race for the, then, 25th Congressional District was too close to call on election night and came down to absentee ballots. Maffei, who was in office for only two years, conceded three weeks after Election Day.
According to the new poll, Rep. Buerkle and Maffei both have the support of 43% of voters. Green Party candidate Ursula Rozum has the support of 7% and 6% remain undecided.
The poll found that Syracuse voters prefer Maffei 2-1 over Rep. Burkle, but the two candidates are tied in Onondaga County. The poll also found that Rep. Burkle has a 12-point advantage outside of Onondaga County.
Voters in Central New York were also found to favor President Obama over Repiblican candidate Mitt Romney.
According to the poll findings, "President Obama has a commanding 55-36 percent lead over Governor Mitt Romney and on issues from Obamacare to eliminating tax cuts for those earning more than $250,000, as well as Medicare, Social Security, immigration, and women’s reproductive health issues, voters say their views are closer to Obama’s than to Romney’s."
Learn more about Dan Maffei, Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, and Ursula Rozum.
Voters head to the polls on Tuesday, November 6.
