Washington – A Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee official said the organization has pulled $300,000 worth of television ads intended to help Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-5th District, in her race against Republican businessman Mark Greenberg.
At the same time the DCCC reserved $500,000 in new television ads in Iowa to help defend an open seat that had been in Democratic hands, the Democratic Party official said. That Iowa seat has become increasingly competitive.
The DCCC had originally reserved $760,000 to air independent ads to help the Esty campaign, and the shifting of money indicates it believes the Democrat has an edge.
Marc Brumer, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said, “Elizabeth Esty has been running a strong campaign that puts middle class families first.”
There has been no independent polling in the 5th District. The Esty campaign said on Monday that an internal poll showed her running 16 percentage points ahead of Greenberg, 52 percent to 36 percent, with 12 percent undecided.
The Esty campaign said 400 likely voters were asked the following question between Oct. 8 and 10:
“The candidates in the election for U.S. Congress in this district are Mark Greenberg, the Republican, and Elizabeth Esty, the Democrat. Given this choice, do you think you will vote for Mark Greenberg or Elizabeth Esty?”
The campaign did not disclose the results of other questions or the makeup of the polling sample.
“In a shocking development, Elizabeth Esty thinks she’s going to win this election,” said Greenberg campaign manager Bill Evans. “What phony polls and millions in special-interest cash can’t answer for is her strident support of Dan Malloy and their shared love of tax increases, busting budgets, and government perks.”
Greenberg’s campaign did not respond to a question asking if it had conducted its own internal poll.