We're gaining steam here in NJ7, and even the Republicans are admitting that this race is tightening. The most popular political news and gossip site in the state,
PoliticsNJ.com, yesterday called the race
a tossup.
Democratic and Republican sources say that internal polling from both sides show the race for Congress in New Jersey's seventh congressional district to be tightening. That confirms a Majority Watch independent poll that has GOP Congressman Michael Ferguson leading Democratic Assemblywoman Linda Stender by a 46%-43% margin -- a statistical dead heat. Stender, who has raised $1.8 million and has won endorsements from the Star-Ledger, the New York Times, the Courier-News and the Hunterdon County Democrat, is also touting a new endorsement from actor Michael J. Fox. According, PoliticsNJ.com has moved this race -- for at least the next 48 hours -- into the Toss Up column.
So far our campaign here has received seven newspaper endorsements and is sweeping the daily newspapers. The Mike Ferguson (R-NJ7) campaign has, sadly, not a single endorsement.
Though most of us here, including myself, has forgotten what our families and beds look like over the past month we are very encouraged. The volunteers continue to pour in doing phone banks and canvassing in Red areas like Hunterdon County along with Democracy for America as well as in more blue areas like Union. The reactions are backing up the polling saying this race in closing.
The Stender is a Spender theme Ferguson took on back in August is starting to backfire, as well. When I go out door-to-door or in diners and at events people say they think the theme is childish, and even Republicans are turning on it. They say this is a time for serious people to take on serious problems, and Ferguson is proving he is what the New York Times and Courier News called him in their endorsements: a shameless back-bencher.
We are in the final push, and we need to keep the heat on. As PoliticsNJ reported, both sides' internal polling shows this race tightening quickly and if we work hard over the next four days we can win this race.
Please help us get more ads up on the air - like this one from 14 year old juvenile diabetes sufferer Lyndsey Rosenthal about stem cell research - by contributing today or callingl our office at 908-322-1996 to volunteer for this weekend and election day.
The wave has come to NJ7, but it is not enough to just ride it. Thanks to the grass- and netroots volunteers and support we've received (listen to our supporters on this clip from the debate!) from thousands of people we are in a position to win.