Coups

GOP Set to Win Weiner’s Seat

Turner leads in new poll, poised for huge upset.

The Republican candidate is now set to win the race for Anthony Weiner’s old seat in Congress. Bob Turner leads Democrat David Weprin 47–41 in the heavily Democratic New York City district, according to a new Public Policy Polling survey. He’s leading among independents, 58–26, and is even attracting 29 percent of the Democratic vote. The result may be less about Weiner’s memorable crash and burn than about dissatisfaction with President Obama, who won the district with 55 percent of the vote in 2008 but now has just a 31 percent approval rating there He is particularly dogged by Israel in the district: 37 percent of voters say Israel is “very important” to determining their vote, and Turner leads among these voters 71–22. Only 30 percent of voters in the district approve of Obama’s handling of Israel.