Newly-appointed Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is flexing some of her political muscle back home in her upstate House district, cutting this ad for Democratic candidate Scott Murphy:
“I hope you’ll join me in voting for Scott Murphy,” says Gillibrand. “We need him in Congress.”
On paper, the Republicans started out with some advantages to pick up this marginal seat, given the lead they have in voter-registration — though on the other hand, the GOP brand is in pretty bad shape, and the district voted narrowly for Barack Obama last year. If Murphy wins, expect Gillibrand’s supporters to say that her image, as a local woman done good, provided at least some significant help.
Meanwhile, Republican candidate Jim Tedisco has announced that he wants the NRCC out of his campaign, after a recent poll said that Murphy has nearly erased Tedisco’s initial lead, with a drastic turnaround among independent voters. He’ll manage it himself, and seek to refocus the race in a positive direction.
