Poll: Lazio still leads Paladino in GOP primary

ALBANY - Rick Lazio continues to lead Carl Paladino in the Republican primary for governor, though the latter's supporters appear more ardent, according to a poll released Thursday.

Less than two weeks before primary day, the Quinnipiac University poll found Lazio, a former congressman from Brightwaters, ahead 47 percent to 35 percent. Eighteen percent were undecided.

Both candidates have picked up support since Quinnipiac's July survey and the gap separating them has narrowed.

However, 49 percent of voters said they weren't fully committed to a candidate. Sixty-two percent of Paladino supporters said they were sticking with him through the Sept. 14 vote compared with 42 percent of Lazio supporters.

"With many of his supporters open to changing their minds, Rick Lazio has a shaky lead," said pollster Maurice Carroll.

Paladino, a Buffalo businessman, Thursday launched an advertising blitz using some of his vast fortune. Lazio, with less than $1 million as of mid-July, is counting on his designation as party standard-bearer.

"Carl Paladino is tailgating Rick Lazio," said his campaign manager Michael Caputo. "We're pulling into the passing lane . . . We'll have Rick in our rearview mirror by next week."

Lazio aide David James shot back, "Our strategy . . . has been focused on promoting Rick Lazio's plan to fix Albany and defeating [Democrat] Andrew Cuomo, and we feel very confident about where we are."

Quinnipiac found Cuomo, the current state attorney general, would beat Lazio or Paladino by a margin of 2-to-1 when the sample was taken.

The poll of 359 Republicans and 866 Democrats was conducted Aug. 23-31. The margin of error for Republicans was plus or minus 5.2 percentage points, and for Democrats, 3.3 points.