Woolfpack Comeback?

The NY-21st district race recently saw a blip of life after what many believed to be finished. According to this new poll, Aaron Woolf (D) has gained substantially against his opponent, Elise Stefanik (R). She still has a commanding 8-point lead, but it has since shrunk from 13. This race may have to be reexamined.

 

The two candidates fair similarly in likeability, but Woolf's Democratic dog tag may symbolize a union with the unfavorable President in the North Country. President Obama's unfavorability soars twice as large as his favorability in the region, which may hang a noose over Woolf's bid for Congress. (An interesting question must be raised on the validity of the data, though. Forty-two percent of the respondents came from outside the district in the neighboring capital region. The other half was split between Watertown and Plattsburgh, also including Burlington, so it remains to be seen if Woolf’s comeback is indeed real.)

 

For his part, Woolf has distanced himself from President Obama's landmark and lambasted healthcare law, colloquially known as Obamacare. His position of fixing some wrong parts of the law may not be enough of a distinction for voters while Stefanik's platform is clear and concise. She wants it repealed and replaced. Stefanik has a clear advantage to step back from Obamacare in a district so heavily against the President, which may be a major contributing to her continued lead in this race.