Democrat Joe Morelle holds a 17-point lead over Republican Jim Maxwell in New York's 25th Congressional District, according to a Spectrum News/Siena College poll.

Siena surveyed 465 likely voters between October 4 and October 8 in the Rochester-area district, where Maxwell and Morelle are running to replace longtime congresswoman Louise Slaughter, who passed away earlier this year.

Morelle is well-known as a longtime state legislator and as the former Monroe County Democratic Committee chair. The poll shows that his lead has shrunk a bit from 25 percent in late August, but pollster Steve Greenberg says it's still significant.

Both candidates actually have a positive favorability rating; however, nearly half of those polled either hadn't heard of Maxwell or didn't know enough about him to have an opinion. In contrast, more than three quarters of respondents had an opinion on Morelle.

"He's campaigned many, many times throughout the district so voters know him. It's not just that they know the name. A lot of voters in Monroe County know who he is," said Greenberg.

Greenberg says the numbers aren't particularly surprising in a district with a Democratic enrollment edge, which in general is for a Democratically-controlled Congress and against President Donald Trump. 

"He's not as badly under water in this district as in many of the other districts we've seen. Right now, 40 percent approve of the president's job performance, 55 percent disapprove, 15 point margin. Morelle leads in the congressional race by 17 points so it's pretty consistent," Greenberg said.