Fears of a big win by Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump have some Republican U.S. House candidates in open districts scrambling for ways to cope with the trouble-plagued candidate.
In New York, home state to both Clinton and Trump, the spotlight is on two upstate districts relinquished by retiring Republican House members.
State and national Democrats almost always list as top targets for capture the Empire State’s 19th District, where three-term Rep. Chris Gibson is leaving, as well as the neighboring 22nd District given up by fellow three-termer Richard Hanna.
Whether the Republican nominee in each district actually supports Trump for president has been made into a major campaign issue by Democratic candidates.
In the 19th District, former Assembly GOP Leader and 2006 gubernatorial nominee John Faso faces leftist Democrat and former Fordham law school professor Zephyr Teachout. The most recent Siena College Poll shows Faso eking out a lead of 43 percent to Teachout’s 42 percent.
The same poll showed Trump with a district wide lead of 43 percent to Clinton’s 38 percent.
Asked by Newsmax on Saturday about his position on Trump, Faso replied: “My attention is focused completely on the voters of the 19th District. And voters are smart enough to know the difference between the races for president and for Congress.”
Later on Saturday, Assemblywoman Claudia Tenney, who also carries the ballot line of the Conservative Party, is locked in a heated three-way contest. Siena College’s latest poll showed her leading with 35 percent, followed by Broome County legislator and Democrat Kim Myers at 30 percent, and millionaire businessman and Reform Party candidate Martin Babinec at 24 percent.
The same poll showed Clinton leading Trump in the 22nd District by spread of 46 percent to 35 percent.
“I’m voting for Donald Trump,” Tenney said without hesitation. “I’m not in love with some of the stuff he says but we have a constitutional system that needs checks and balances. Hillary Clinton is a lawyer who won’t follow the Constitution. And we have the vacancies on the Supreme Court to consider. So, I’m for Trump over Clinton because this is about the future of the country.”
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax.
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