ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - A new poll gives Republican incumbent Congressman Chris Collins a slim lead over his Democratic challenger Nate McMurray in the 27th Congressional District.
The Spectrum News/Siena College pollreleased Tuesday shows Collins leading McMurray 46-43 percent among likely voters. Reform Party candidate Larry Piegza had 1% of voters supporting him. The poll lists a margin of error of plus or minus 4.7 percent.
Collins is facing insider trading charges, and after initially suspending his campaign, he indicated last month he is actively campaigning again in his bid for a 4th term. He has denied the charges.
Siena College pollster Steve Greenberg notes that Collins has a narrow lead in a district that has over 40,000 more Republicans than Democrats. He also says that the Siena poll shows the district favors Republicans maintaining control of the House by 18 percent.
The Siena survey also shows that Collins has a negative 37-49 percent favorability rating, compared to 32-21 percent for McMurray, the Grand Island town supervisor.
The poll also shows that independent voters are nearly evenly divided.
The 27th Congressional District includes all of Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, and Livingston counties, with parts of Erie, Monroe, Niagara, and Ontario counties.