Golnik Campaign Says They Are Within Single Digits, Tsongas Camp Skeptical

Although the ultimate poll will come on Nov. 6, but for now Jon Golnik says he's only seven points behind incumbent Niki Tsongas in the race for the Massachusetts Third Congressional District seat.

Golnik's campaign announced that in a poll taken for the campaign by Stinson Strategies, Tsongas' currently leads 52 to 45 percent among the 549 likely Third District voters reached in an automated poll on Sept. 18.

In the poll, Golnik had a 41 percent favorability rating versus a 25 percent unfavorable rating, with 17 percent of voters not knowing him. Tsongas received a 57 to 35 percent rating, with only 2 percent of voters not knowing her.

"We are very encouraged by the results of this poll," said Alicia Preston, a spokeswoman for the Golnik campaign. "It shows Jon has gained momentum and support over his 2010 race, and that is exciting. We believe the support comes from the hard work of Jon and the campaign to get his message out."

Meanwhile, the Tsongas campaign dismissed the poll due to the fact that it was paid for by the Golnik campaign as well as the fact that it only reached residents with landlines and Tsongas soundly defeated Golnik during a heavily Republican year in 2010.

"This poll is a joke," said Tsongas campaign manager Eric Slusher to the Lowell Sun. "It was conducted by (Golnik's) own fundraising consultant, a person with very little experience who only does polling for local Republican candidates, so how can anyone take seriously its obviously skewed results?

Other results from the poll indicated respondents preferred Barack Obama to Mitt Romney 52 to 44 percent and Scott Brown over Elizabeth Warren 54 to 42 percent.

Golnik and Tsongas will meet in Concord on Sunday for a debate hosted by the League of Women Voters.