Poll: Dead heat in state comptroller, AG races

ALBANY - The races for state comptroller and attorney general are tied, while Democratic candidates for governor and the two U.S. Senate seats are comfortably ahead of Republican rivals, according to a poll of likely voters released Sunday.

The Siena College Research Institute found incumbent comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, a Democrat from Great Neck Plaza, in a dead heat with Republican Harry Wilson. Each is backed by 44 percent of those expecting to cast ballots Tuesday; 12 percent were undecided.

The survey results were identical in the attorney general contest. Support for Eric Schneiderman, a Democratic state senator from Manhattan, and Republican Daniel Donovan, the Staten Island district attorney, is divided 44-44, with 12 percent undecided.

In both races, the GOP candidates have closed considerable gaps with the Democrats since Siena's Oct. 20 poll - in the case of Wilson, wiping out DiNapoli's lead of 17 percentage points.

"If this were a baseball game, it would be tied heading into the ninth inning," pollster Steven Greenberg said of the comptroller's matchup. "It is clear that momentum is on Wilson's side."

Wilson, a retired hedge-fund manager from Scarsdale, now leads DiNapoli on Long Island and the other New York City suburbs by 9 points. About two weeks ago, DiNapoli had a 14-point lead in the suburbs.

Among Republicans vying for the five statewide offices, Wilson does best among supporters of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Cuomo and residents who don't like the tea party movement.

Greenberg and others credited Wilson's improved standing in part to his using his fortune for a barrage of television commercials attacking DiNapoli. As of Oct. 18, Wilson's campaign treasury was six times larger than DiNapoli's.

Donovan, who has a similar fundraising disadvantage to Schneiderman in the contest for attorney general, still managed to erase the latter's statewide lead of 7 points. The poll also found that Donovan is now favored on Long Island and in the other city suburbs by 21 points over Schneiderman.

Greenberg said, "Heading into the final days of the campaign, this race looks like the proverbial coin toss."

That's not the case when it comes to whom likely voters want to be the next governor.

Cuomo is ahead of Republican Carl Paladino, 58 percent to 33 percent. Six percent were undecided.

"No matter how you slice the numbers, Cuomo has a seemingly invincible lead," Greenberg said.

In the U.S. Senate matchups, incumbent Democrats Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are well ahead of GOP rivals.

Schumer leads political consultant Jay Townsend of Cornwall-on-Hudson, 64 percent to 32 percent.

Gillibrand is ahead of former Rep. Joe DioGuardi of Westchester County, 57-37.

The poll of 603 likely voters, conducted Oct. 27-30, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 points.