'Tis the season for election polling as evidenced by the uptick in "political discussion" sparked by the county executive survey reported last week by The Buffalo News and Channel 2 News.
But the big race between Democrat Mark C. Poloncarz and Republican incumbent Chris Collins is not the only polling game in town. Several sources report both Republican and Democratic polls have been under way in the 148th Assembly District, where Republican Ray Walter is facing Democrat Craig Bucki in a special election to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Republican James Hayes.
And the sources say that the race -- the only Assembly contest in the state -- is close enough that the Albany-based Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee will get involved. Watch for literature to hit a mail box near you in the 148th.
But that doesn't mean the pollsters are not working the county executive race in the Amherst-based district. GOP sources say they found Collins leading by 22 points last week. Democratic sources say their survey last week shows Collins leading by only 10 points.
The Republican thought is that such a lead in Amherst shows Collins in good shape countywide. The Dem take is that with 6 percent still undecided, Collins will post a single-digit lead that bodes well for Poloncarz countywide.
And that is why newspapers like The News and TV stations like Channel 2 conduct their own independent polls.
--Robert J. McCarthy
