Congressional cage match: Can Schreibman catch Gibson for Hinchey seat?

No Schreibman record to run on

If Gibson is working to defend his record, Schreibman is challenged by having to run without one. Other than a failed attempt to secure the Democratic Party nomination for Ulster County District Attorney in 2008, this is his first campaign for public elective office. While Gibson began the campaign with high name recognition, at least in parts of the district like Columbia County that he currently represents, Schreibman began his run as a virtual unknown outside of Ulster County Democratic circles. A mid-September poll by the Siena Research Institute showed Gibson holding a commanding 52 to 26 percent lead over Schreibman district-wide. In parts of the new district currently represented by Gibson, the lead was closer to 35 percent. According to the poll, two thirds of voters hadn’t even heard of Schreibman in September and those who had were evenly divided in their opinion. Among Democrats, the poll found, 21 percent said that they would vote for Gibson.

Schreibman, some Ulster County Democrats say, may also be hampered by baggage from his tenure as Chairman of the Ulster County Democratic Committee which was marked by some high profile electoral losses and inter-party feuds. In fact, two well known players in Ulster County Democratic circles, former county chairman John Parete and former Saugerties party chair Bruce Tuchman are holding a Gibson fundraiser at Parete’s Boiceville Inn, in the heart of Hinchey’s northern Ulster County home-base. Other local Democrats wonder why Schreibman put himself forward for the Congressional race instead of recruiting an Ulster County Democrat with more name recognition.

“He lost the legislature, he didn’t recruit any candidates and he didn’t raise any money,” said one elected official, speaking on the condition of anonymity in the interest of party unity. “The guy burned a lot of bridges with his own party.”

But supporters like Kingston Alderman Tom Hoffay say that Schreibman’s strategy of linking Gibson to the more extreme elements in the GOP will pay off among the coalition of Hinchey voters, inter-party politics aside. Hoffay added that a likely Obama sweep in the Presidential election and the fact that many in the new district are unfamiliar with Gibson offered Schreibman a path to victory.

“Most progressive people in Kingston do not want to be represented by someone who voted for the Ryan budget,” said Hoffay. “I think President Obama is going to sweep the Hudson Valley and that’s going to help Schreibman.”

Dueling polls

As for the dismal poll numbers, Schreibman chalked them up to the fact that the survey was taken before his campaign took to the airwaves with its latest ad blitz. On Tuesday, October 9 his campaign touted a new Grove Poll showing Schreibman pulling within striking distance of Gibson. According to the poll, Gibson held a 43-41 percent lead over Gibson with 16 percent of voters undecided. Schreibman attributed the poll numbers to voters upset over Gibson’s “Tea Party” votes. Gibson staffers meanwhile cast a skeptical eye on the poll which was conducted by a partisan research firm affiliated with the Democratic Party. One Gibson staffer said the poll looked like the work of national Democratic Party officials looking to shore up a faltering campaign. But Gibson himself said that he was not getting complacent. The attack ads, he said would have an impact. The strong support in the Siena Poll shown in the portion of his old district still involved in this race, Gibson contended, showed that he had support across party lines and, the goal now, he said, was to convince thousands of new constituents to send him back to Washington.

“The people who know me best support my re-election,” said Gibson. “They understand my approach, they understand my record.”