A New York congressional race that focused on President Barack Obama’s popularity and his economic policy is too close to call.
With 71 percent of the precincts in the 20th Congressional District reporting, Republican Jim Tedisco leads Democrat Scott Murphy by about 1,000 votes, a less than 1 percent lead, in the race to replace Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand.
Businessman and political newcomer Murphy and national Democrats staked his campaign on the strength of Obama and his economic policies, specifically his $787 billion stimulus plan.
Tedisco, an Assemblyman for 27 years, attacked Murphy for supporting the stimulus with its million-dollar bonuses for executives at bailed-out insurer American International Group Inc.
Gillibrand succeeded Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.