Polls show Kean, Menendez close
2006-09-29
Source: New Jersey Star Ledger
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rss feedThe two candidates running for U.S. Senate are neck and neck, with the Republican scoring points on ethics and the Democrat polling better on national issues, according to a new poll released Thursday.
Findings from the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll were released the same day as published reports that an advisor to Democratic candidate U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez was secretly recorded seven years ago pressing a Hudson County contractor to hire someone as a favor to the then congressman.
Menendez had since cut ties with that advisor, according to the reports.
"It has the potential to be death by a thousand cuts if these stories keep coming out," said Dr. Tim Vercellotti, assistant director at the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling. "If so, Kean has a choice between two easy options, sit back and let Menendez react or continue to campaign on ethics."
A separate on-line poll from Zogby International on Thursday placed Menendez ahead of Kean by six points.
Of 404 likely voters who participated in the Eagleton survey from Sept. 24 to Sept. 26, 45 percent supported Menendez, just ahead of State Sen. Tom Kean Jr. at 44 percent. The poll had a 4.9-percent margin of error.
Of 660 registered voters sampled, Kean leads Menendez 42 to 40 percent, with a margin of error of 3.8 percent.
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