A news release from the Peters Campaign was sent to the media and supporters today, demonstrating that recent polling puts Gary Peters up by 4% over incumbent Joe Knollenberg, in Michigan's highly contested 9th Congressional District. Moreover, once voters were provided with brief biographies of the candidates Peters' lead jumped to an impressive 15 percentage points, 50% to 35%. The poll was conducted by the DCCC, and released today.
POLL: PETERS LEADS KNOLLENBERG BY 4
September 30th, 2008 - Oakland County, MI - Congressional candidate Gary Peters is leading incumbent Republican Rep. Joe Knollenberg by a margin of 41% to 37% according to a poll released Tuesday. With strong fundraising and one of the most active, grassroots voter-outreach campaigns in the country, Gary Peters' message is clearly resonating with independent voters in Oakland County.
Once voters were given brief statements about both Peters and Knollenberg, Gary Peters lead widened to a 15 point margin of 50% to 35%.
More below:
"Families here in Oakland County know that Washington is broken, and they know that Congressman Knollenberg has voted with President Bush over 90% of the time for disastrous economic policies that have cost Michigan over 400,000 jobs," said Julie Petrick, Gary Peters' Campaign Manager. "Now that the voters are getting to know Gary, learn about his background, and hear his plans to take action for Oakland County, they prefer him by a strong margin."
On Monday, Peters launched the first network television ad of the campaign. The ad is a positive look at Gary Peters' personal story as a fifth-generation Oakland County native, a father of three, and a former Navy Reserve Lt. Commander who signed back up after the September 11th attacks.
"When you take Joe Knollenberg's record of voting with George Bush to send jobs overseas and to block health care for children, and you put it side-by-side with Gary Peters' record of fiscal responsibility and investing in education and health care, the choice in this election is very clear," said Petrick.
The survey of 400 likely voters in Michigan's 9th Congressional District was conducted by Grove-Insight from August 17 to 19, by which point Peters' campaign and volunteers had already knocked on over 65,000 doors.
Peters' ads have been airing continuously on cable television since August 25th - three weeks longer than Knollenberg's campaign commercials - and the Peters for Congress team has now knocked on over 100,000 doors in Oakland County.
This is the kind of news we've been waiting for, and clear evidence that this is surely a seat that the GOP will have a great deal of difficulty defending. That's why Joe Knollenberg has already raised (through July 16, 2008) over $2.6 million for the campaign. While Peters is one of the better funded Democratic challengers in the country, as of that same date, he stood at 50% of Knollenberg's haul, at $1.3 million.
With the reporting quarter ending this evening, we could surely use a huge boost. So, when looking over the O2B candidates, please reach a little deeper and help us knock out Bush-McCain's best friend in Michigan, Joe Knollenberg.
Gary Peters' ActBlue Page
Peters on Red to Blue
Peters for Congress