By Jeffrey Young
Entering the home stretch, Democrat Patrick Murphy is boasting an upsurge in campaign money and the first-ever poll showing him leading freshman Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) in this reliably Republican district in suburban Philadelphia.
The poll shows Murphy leading Fitzpatrick 44 percent to 40 percent, Murphy's campaign announced yesterday. Although the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) commissioned the poll and the four-point lead is smaller than the 4.9 percent margin of error, Murphy's campaign could be boosted by the news after trailing Fitzpatrick all year.
Murphy also out-raised Fitzpatrick this quarter. The Democrat pulled in $630,800 through Sept. 30, and has $632,000 in cash-on-hand. By contrast, the incumbent raised $384,600 in the quarter and has $446,000 in cash-on-hand. Both campaigns filed their quarterly reports with the Federal Election Commission last week.
While Fitzpatrick has been keeping his distance from prominent Republicans, Murphy has enjoyed aggressive support from national Democrats. In addition to the backing - financial and otherwise - of the DCCC, Murphy in recent weeks has hosted Democratic stars such as former President Bill Clinton and 2004 presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who carried the 8th District.
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