New Yorkers go to the polls today in what is being seen by many commentators as a referendum on President Barack Obama's popularity.
The vote for the congressional seat of New York's ninth district, which includes parts of Brooklyn and Queens, was called after the resignation of Jewish representative Anthony Weiner amidst a sex scandal .
The district has been held by the Democratic Party since the 1920s, but pollsters have predicted an inexperienced Republican businessman could cause an upset.
If Bob Turner, who is 70 and has never held elected office before, wins the vote, some will put it down to his unequivocal support for Israel.
