May 20, 2005 In Case You Missed It ... Ahead in New Quinnipiac Poll, Forrester Banks on TV Ads To Win GOP Nod
By STEVE KORNACKI
PoliticsNJ.com
MAY 19 - On May 10, 2001, just over a month before that year's Republican gubernatorial primary, Quinnipiac University released a poll that showed Bob Franks slaughtering Bret Schundler by 22 points.
Schundler, of course, ended up winning, 57 to 43 percent.
Now, three weeks before this year's primary, Schundler, according to a Quinnipiac survey released this morning, trails his chief GOP rival, Doug Forrester, by a more manageable six points, 39 to 33 percent . . .
Forrester, who has already spent around $6 million on slick television ads, today launched an expensive and cutthroat attack ad on network television affiliates in New York and Philadelphia . . .
As he informally launched his second gubernatorial bid more than a year ago, Schundler trotted out a sophisticated property tax relief plan and even prodded a few legislators to introduce the necessary constitutional amendments. He's talked of little else besides his "property tax revolution" since then.
Forrester, meanwhile, barely addressed the issue until last month, when he abruptly changed course and claimed credit for a plan authored by the Assembly Republicans, declaring property tax relief would be his first priority as governor . . .
In fact, there is a belief within some of the GOP campaigns that Schundler is actually ahead right now, at least among those who are most likely to vote.
"There's no way Forrester is ahead," [Lonegan consultant Rick] Shaftan said. "The only thing that's right about that poll is us at four percent. . .I have Schundler at 23 and Forrester at 18. I've only had one day in this survey over the last three weeks where Forrester is over 20."
Paid for by Schundler for Governor
www.bret2005.com
