Veteran Brooklyn DA Charles “Joe” Hynes claims he’s found the magic ingredient to win his uphill battle for re-election: by linking opponent Ken Thompson to corrupt ex-Democratic boss Clarence Norman.
Thompson handily defeated Hynes in the Democratic primary last month. But Hynes, 78, a lifelong Democrat and 24-year incumbent, is challenging Thompson on the Republican and Conservative lines in the Nov. 5 general election.
The Hynes campaign conducted an internal poll showing that he trails Thompson, 48 percent to 36 percent, when voters are told he lost the Democratic primary and is running as Republican.
But when no party affiliation is mentioned, the survey shows Hynes leading Thompson, 41 percent to 37 percent, with 22 percent undecided.
And “when voters are further informed that Thompson’s campaign is supported by Clarence Norman, a corrupt political boss who went to prison, Hynes takes a commanding lead, 44 percent to 29 percent, with 27 percent undecided,” said Paul Swibinski, of Vision Media Political, the Hynes campaign’s pollster.
“This means that 40 percent of Thompson voters abandon him after learning this information.”
The poll of 380 Brooklyn voters has a 5 percentage-point margin of error.
Thompson’s campaign said Hynes’ touting of an internal poll was the sign of a desperate candidate.
“In the same week that Republican Joe Hynes admitted he has zero evidence to back up the lies he continues to spread about Democrat Ken Thompson, he is now openly promoting a push poll showing him losing by double digits? Looks like the Hynes Republican reboot is positively bush league,” said Thompson campaign spokesman James Freedland.
Hynes campaign director Chapin Fay countered, “This poll is good news. This is a path to victory. Corruption is a real issue.”
Both the Thompson campaign and Norman have insisted the former Brooklyn Democratic chairman played no role in the campaign.
But Norman acknowledged he had been at Thompson’s primary-night victory party and “prayed” for change in the DA’s office.