Neal says polls show him far ahead in primary

Massachusetts Congressman Richard Neal, who is seeking his 13th term in a newly-drawn district that encompasses more of the Berkshires, says internal polling shows him with a healthy lead over Democratic primary opponents Andrea Nuciforo and Bill Shein. Neal spoke with WAMC’s Alan Chartock today.

"We’re doing great!" Neal says. "I mean, in fact, one of the things that I think is very telling about a poll, and I say this diplomatically, when you get a poll back -- and the polls that I have used all these years is David Paleologos, and he has extraordinary credibility, you should know. He has done the Suffolk University Boston Herald poll that in fact called the Brown-Coakley race, right on the dime -- and he has done polling for me for a long period of time.

"And I think the evidence is evident, I’ve already agreed to do debates, but you will always find the candidates that are literally far behind demanding debates. And the reason for that is largely because they’re far behind, and I think that, well, I’ve agreed to do debates only because I’ve done them for every campaign I’ve ever had, I also think that it hasn’t been necessary for me to attack the opposition. I think that’s been pretty telling too."