NINETEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT — A new poll shows that Democratic congressional candidate Julian Schreibman is closing the gap between him and his opponent, Republican Congressman Chris Gibson. The poll released on October 8 shows that 41% of respondents favored Schreibman while 43% supported Gibson, with 16% of voters undecided.

As recently as two weeks ago, Siena College released a poll showing support for Schreibman at 35% and Gibson at 52% in the newly-formed district which includes Sullivan, Ulster and Delaware counties.

According to a release from the polling company Grove Insight, “By a margin of eight points, voters are more likely to give the Congressman negative reviews (44%) than offer a positive evaluation (36%) of his work in Congress.”

On the other hand, Schreibman, according to Grove, “benefits from a district that favors Democrats,” where President Barack Obama is ahead by seven points over challenger Governor Mitt Romney, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand leads her Republican challenger Wendy Long for the Senate seat by 15 points (55% Gillibrand; 30% Long).

In other news about the campaign, Gibson announced on October 9, that he has been endorsed in his re-election bid by the New York State Building and Construction Trades Council.