The latest poll results show that Ed Mangano still has the lead as he tries to hang onto his seat as Nassau County executive, but former Executive Tom Suozzi has gained some ground as he seeks to get his old job back.
A News 12/Newsday/Siena College poll questioned 999 likely Nassau County voters over the last four days of October. It found that Mangano is enjoying an 11-point advantage, but Suozzi has cut Mangano's lead by six points when compared to a poll taken three weeks ago.
Pollsters report that 52 percent of responders said they will vote for Mangano on Tuesday, while 41 percent say they'll vote for Suozzi. Another 7 percent were undecided.
The results come just four days before voters head to the polls for Election Day, and both campaigns are in the home stretch. As negative campaign ads continue to blitz prospective voters from both sides, the poll also found that many people now have a worse opinion of both men than they did less than a month ago.
Mangano is taking the poll as a positive sign. "I think it really reflects what we're seeing in the streets," the executive said. "We're talking to residents, they are encouraged, they are supportive of my campaign, they're supportive of the achievements we've made for the past four years."
Tom Suozzi disputed the poll's findings. "The poll can't possibly be right," he said. "It was wrong before, it's wrong now. Our internal polling shows this to be a dead heat."
Both candidates caution that voter turnout will be a big part of the election on Nov. 5.