Democrats are growing increasingly nervous about Anthony Weiner's former seat. Poll shocker: GOP up for Weiner seat

Republicans are poised for a dramatic upset in next week’s special election for a New York City congressional seat, according to a new poll out Friday.

The survey, conducted by the Siena Research Institute, found Republican Bob Turner holding a 50 percent to 44 percent lead over Democrat David Weprin.


The poll comes as national Democrats grow increasingly nervous about Weprin’s prospects in the race for a Brooklyn and Queens-area seat that has long favored the party. On Thursday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced it was pouring $500,000 on the New York City airwaves for Weprin. The Democratic-boosting House Majority PAC is also running ads in the race’s final days.

“Republican Turner heads into the final days of the campaign with a six-point lead in this heavily Democratic district after having trailed Democrat Weprin by six points just four weeks ago,” said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg.

Siena is one of two polling firms set to release results examining the race. The other, Democratic firm Public Policy Polling, wrote in on Twitter late Thursday that its initial results showed Weprin in “big trouble.”

Weprin, a state assemblyman, was the strong favorite in the race to replace resigned Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner but has struggled through a series of blunders during the campaign. Turner, a retired cable television executive, has sought to tie Weprin to the policies of President Barack Obama, whose popularity has diminished in the district.

Greenberg, in a memo accompanying the poll results, warned that a win was not certain for Turner.

“With four days until election day, this race is going down to the wire. While Turner leads and has momentum on his side, this is still a heavily Democratic district and in a low turnout special election, the campaigns’ get-out-the-vote operations are going to be key. There’s still a lot of campaigning yet to happen,” Greenberg said.