The Maffei Campaign conducted an internal poll and here are the results, via the Post Standard:

Maffei leads Sweetland, 49 percent to 31 percent, the poll showed, with 6 percent supporting Green Populist candidate Howie Hawkins and 14 percent undecided. The poll’s margin of error was about 4 percent.

6% for Howie Hawkins? 14% undecided?

Look, this is an internal poll and I think the only poll that matters is the one on election day (I’ll grant that all polls, internal and external are useful to a campaign prior to the election). Still, taking these numbers at face value - 14% undecided?

Seems like the choice is Maffei (change) or Sweetland (more of the same)

The Sweetland campaign was unsurprisingly upset - denounced the poll and offered no data of their own.

The Sweetland campaign, when shown the questions and results, denounced the pollster as partisan and suggested the poll was manipulated to push respondents to favor Maffei.

Bill Rapp, Sweetland’s campaign manager, said he could not offer specific proof of a push-poll, nor was he willing to release any of his own polling data to show a different result. Rapp said his campaign polled voters in early August.

Like I said, Dale Sweetland more of the same.

Go Maffei!

Related posts:

1. Complete control for Maffei
2. And just what does your internal polling show, Mr. Van Wicklin?
3. Maffei up 12 points in poll
4. New poll in the 29th
5. Maffei hammers Sweetland for nondisclosure