A new poll released on Tuesday shows that moderate Democratic challenger, Anthony Brindisi is leading incumbent Claudia Tenney by six points, 50% to 44% in their head to head campaign for the 22nd Congressional seat. Polling was conducted between March 8th and March 12th with a sample of roughly 400 voters or more and combines internal DCCC and campaign polling, along with publicly released polls. The polling consisted of live calls to landlines and cell phones.

The 22nd Congressional district has long been considered a moderate district stretching from Oswego into Utica-Rome and the Mohawk Valley and then south into Binghamton. Republicans outnumber Democrats in the district by a +6 advantage , according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index.

“It’s clear voters are disgusted with Congresswoman Tenney, her nasty politics, and the deepening dysfunction in Washington, said DCCC Spokesman Evan Lukaske. "Central New York families want a bipartisan problem solver who will find common ground," he added.

Brindisi is also touting that since January 1st, his campaign has raised over $510,000, the most any NY-22 congressional candidate or incumbent has ever raised during the 1st quarter of any year.  Brindisi claims that he's taken no corporate PAC money and has more than $800,000 on hand. His campaign says that 89% of his donations have been under $100. In an interview with the Keeler Show on WIBX, Brindisi said contributions increased after Tenney's controversial comments which blamed most mass shootings on democrats, a claim that remains unsubstantiated.

“I continue to be humbled and appreciative of the widespread support for this campaign” Anthony Brindisi said. “Our campaign isn’t funded by Wall Street Corporations or lobbyists

I continue to be humbled and appreciative of the widespread support for this campaign

that game the system against working families. Instead, we rely on small contributions from real people and that's who I will represent in Congress” Brindisi added.

Brindisi has consistently out raised Tenney since joining the race and finished the previous quarter with a cash on hand advantage, according to Syracuse.com. The next campaign fund filing deadline is on April 12th.
Assembly Members Anthony Brindisi and Claudia Tenney by Kristine Bellino, WIBX
Assembly Members Anthony Brindisi and Claudia Tenney during the Keeler in the Morning radio program on WIBX in December of 2015. Photo by Kristine Bellino, WIBX
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Brindisi and Tenney served in the New York State Assembly together and Tenney has claimed that the two of them "got along very well" in Albany. That supposed comradery has certainly eroded since Brindisi announced his candidacy for the NY-22 seat in June of last year.  An interview in which Tenney made derogatory comments about Brindisi's father, a Utica defense attorney, and claims that he is a rubber stamp for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi have certainly quelled any positive relationship that may or may not have existed previously.

WIBX has reached out to Rep. Tenney and is awaiting comment.

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