WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The conventional wisdom going into this fall's elections is that Republican incumbent Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle could be facing a tough re-election battle. But an early poll raises questions about that assessment.

The Congressional news organization, Roll Call, has obtained a survey done by a Republican pollster that gives Buerkle an early lead.

The poll, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percent, shows Buerkle with 42 percent, and her Democratic opponent, former Congressman Dan Maffei, with 38 percent.

20 percent of those questioned said they were undecided.