ALBANY, N.Y. President Barack Obama on Wednesday publicly endorsed fellow Democrat Scott Murphy as the party works to capture a special election and solidify its hold on New York’s 20th Congressional District.
Obama’s announcement comes less than a week before the March 31 special election that is widely viewed as an early test of Obama’s popularity. An e-mail from Obama is being sent to supporters to encourage them to volunteer for Murphy in the final days of the campaign.
“I could not be more honored and humbled to have the President’s support,” Murphy said in a written statement.
Murphy is running against Republican Jim Tedisco, state Assembly minority leader.
“Scott has the kind of experience and background we desperately need right now in Washington,” Obama wrote in an e-mail to supporters. “He’s created jobs by building and growing small businesses while bringing people together to address difficult challenges. He supports the economic recovery plan we’ve put in place, and I know we can count on him as an ally for change.”
“To restore our economy and build a foundation for lasting prosperity, I’ll need Scott’s help,” he wrote. “This week, Scott needs yours.”
Josh Fitzpatrick, a spokesman for Tedisco’s campaign, declined to comment on the impact Obama’s endorsement might have on the campaign. Instead, he repeated criticism of Murphy’s support for the federal economic stimulus package, which Tedisco opposes.
The race is the first across the country to fill a congressional seat since Obama was elected. For Democrats, it’s a chance to hold on to what had been a staunchly Republican district and solidify their wins in elections last fall.
Republicans view this as a chance to take back the territory they dominated for decades and to reassert themselves in the heavily Democratic Northeast.
The incumbent, Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, was in her second term when she was appointed to the U.S. Senate in January to succeed Hillary Rodham Clinton.
According to the latest Siena College poll on the race, Obama has a 65 percent approval rating in the district, with 27 percent rating him unfavorably and 9 percent undecided. Gillibrand had a 78 percent approval rating.
That poll showed Tedisco leading Murphy by 4 percentage points, with a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points.
The district has more than 196,000 registered Republicans compared to about 125,000 registered Democrats. There are more than 118,000 voters who aren’t affiliated with either party.
The sprawling 20th Congressional district extends through upstate, from Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley north to Essex County in the Adirondacks.