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Poll: LoBiondo holds huge lead over Hughes

WASHINGTON – A couple weeks ago one poll suggested that Democrat Bill Hughes Jr. might be within striking distance of a major upset of U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R., N.J.) in South Jersey.

A new poll today says: not so fast.

And maybe not even close.

The Monmouth University poll found that LoBiondo leads Hughes 56 percent to 35 percent among likely voters in New Jersey's second district. LoBiondo is a 10-term incumbent, but Democrats have eyed the sprawling district that includes parts of eight South Jersey counties. There are more registered Democrats than Republicans, and President Obama won the Atlantic County-based district in 2012.

But LoBiondo appears to have appeal to voters in both parties.

"LoBiondo has held his seat for two decades because of significant crossover appeal in a district that otherwise trends Democratic," said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.

The poll found that 56 percent of voters view LoBiondo favorably, 18 percent see him unfavorably and 27 percent had no opinion. Hughes' favorability rating was 28-9, with 62 percent having no opinion.

"To put it plainly, district voters, including many Democrats, simply like Frank LoBiondo," Murray said in a news release.

Helping the Republican is that many voters in the district have soured on Obama since 2012: only 39 percent approve of his job performance and 55 percent disapprove.

LoBiondo also has a huge cash advantage heading into the campaign's final weeks: $1.5 million to $133,500, according to campaign filings released Wednesday.

The poll surveyed 438 likely voters in the district and has a margin of error of 4.7 percent.

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