NORTH BRANCH, MINN. – Chip Cravaack announced results from a poll today that shows he is trailing entrenched incumbent Congressman Jim Oberstar by just three points. The new survey results catapult Cravaack onto the national radar screen showing he is capable of beating the 17-term incumbent. The poll was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies (POS), a reputable firm who also polls for Sen. Scott Brown (Mass.) and Rep. John Kline (Minn.).

“The encouraging results reflect what I’ve been hearing from Minnesotans in the 8th District for over a year,” said Cravaack, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and 24-year veteran who lives in Lindstrom. “Minnesotans have had enough of Jim Oberstar. They are tired of his rubber-stamping of Pelosi/Obama policies like Obamacare, a job-killing cap-and-trade energy scheme and the failed $862 billion stimulus that created debt, not jobs.”

Among the key findings from the survey:

• Cravaack trails Oberstar by only three points and he has the wind at his back.

• Voters in the 8th district are ready to make a change from the 17-term incumbent Jim Oberstar.

• Chip Cravaack has earned a favorable image in the district, giving him a legitimate shot at an upset in November.

“This survey clearly shows that Oberstar is vulnerable,” said Neil Newhouse, who conducted the poll in Minnesota for POS.  “Voters are unhappy with the Democratic leadership in Washington and Oberstar is not immune from that sentiment. There is no question Chip Cravaack has a legitimate shot to pull off an upset.”

Cravaack is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and served in the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserve for 24 years during which he served at the Pentagon and NATO. After retiring from the Navy, he flew commercially for Northwest Airlines and served as a union representative for the Air Line Pilots Association. Cravaack lives with his wife and two young sons in Lindstrom where he served as the president of Parent Teacher Organization.