A new poll released today shows Republican Bob Turner with a 4 point lead over Democrat David Weprin in their race to replace disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-New York). In addition to the surprising lead in a district in which Democrats out number Republicans by a margin of 3 to 1, the poll also found that Mr. Turner wins the favorability contest with 37% of respondents viewing him favorably compared to just 29.8% for Mr. Weprin.

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With just one week before the special election to fill a seat that was recently considered a sure hold for the Democrats, there's more bad news for Team Weprin. The editorial board of the New York Post endorsed Mr. Turner today and while their choice was hardly a surprise from the right-leaning paper, the endorsement included some strong criticism of Mr. Weprin:

Let’s face it: Turner’s rival, Assemblyman David Weprin, is a career Democratic Party hack. He was handpicked by party bosses (there was no primary) mostly because he comes from a powerful political family.

Indeed, Weprin doesn’t even live in the 9th District - how arrogant is that? - and he’s not bashful about his willingness to toe the Obama line.

He’s calling for higher taxes and more spending. (And anything else the Democratic establishment tells him to support.)

Tying Mr. Weprin to President Barack Obama can be especially damaging to the former's chances. The new poll shows the president's approval rating in NY-9 is just 36% while 52% disapprove of his performance (13% have no opinion).

Could there be a Republican upset in this district that has been in Democrats' hands since the 1920's? With just days to go, things definitely seem to be going Mr. Turner's way.