Poll: Clinton Leads Pirro in Possible Race

[Neil D]

[:"blue"] Maybe she will....then again, maybe she won't....Maybe she's doing what she like's to do....be a senator...But in any case, she's trouncing some republican gluttius maximus. [/]

By MARC HUMBERT

The Associated Press

Wednesday, August 3, 2005; 3:33 PM

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has a huge lead over Jeanine Pirro, Westchester County's high-profile Republican district attorney, in a possible 2006 Senate matchup, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The poll, from the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, had Clinton leading Pirro, 63 percent to 29 percent, in a hypothetical matchup.

In May, Pirro announced she would not seek re-election this year, but would run for statewide office in 2006. She indicated she was considering bids for the Senate, for state attorney general or for governor, if Republican Gov. George Pataki did not seek a fourth term.

The poll found Clinton leading another potential Senate challenger, Manhattan lawyer Edward Cox, 64 percent to 26 percent. Cox is a son-in-law of the late President Nixon.

Also the Senate race on the Republican side are John Spencer, a former Yonkers mayor, and William Brenner, a tax attorney from Sullivan County.

The telephone poll of 1,498 registered voters was conducted July 27-Aug. 1 and has a sampling error margin of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

The poll was released as the New York Post, citing unidentified GOP sources, said Pirro had decided not to challenge Clinton's re-election bid.

A Pirro campaign adviser, Michael McKeon, denied the newspaper report, saying the Senate race "is very much under active consideration."

Pirro was also still considering running for governor or state attorney general, he said. Pataki announced last week that he would not run again.

[Dr. Shane]

Most news junkies are sure that Senator Clinton will run for re-election and will win. It will be very hard for a Republican to beat her. The Republican party would be wise just to put forth a token canidate that can make some noise and hopfully draw some voters out that will help other Republicans in other races. They need to get their base out so they can win the congressional seats they already hold.