BREAKING: Democrat Owens takes 4-point lead over Scozzafava

A new poll issued this morning by the independent Siena Research Institute shows Democratic newcomer Bill Owens taking a 4-point lead over Republican Dede Scozzafava.

Owens surged to 33%, up from 28% two weeks ago. Scozzafava, meanwhile, sagged from 35% down to 29%.

Also showing dramatic growth over the two week period is Conservative challenger Doug Hoffman, who grew form 16% to a whopping 23%.

Here’s the takeaway from Siena’s Steve Greenberg:

With just 10 points separating the three candidates, this is likely to be a very tight – and fiercely fought – campaign right through election day, now less than three weeks away.

Here are a couple of details that I think could prove decisive in this race:

1. Owens is bringing home Democrats, thanks perhaps in part to support from Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. He’s now winning 55% of the Dem vote — up from just 48% two weeks ago.

2. Scozzafava is losing support among Democrats (down a dramatic 9%), Republicans (down 7%) and moderates (down 2%).

3. Hoffman is gobbling up the independent vote, a category of voter that Scozzafava was hoping to seize. The Conservative is now the leading vote-getter among independents with 31% of those votes.

4. Voters in this sruvey give Owens a clear lead when it comes to handling the economy as an issue — after trailing on that topic in the last survey.

One final observation: I think the “spoiler” argument against Hoffman is losing some of its traction.

With roughly three weeks to go, he’s within six points of Scozzafava and this now begins to look like a solid three-way race.

Scozzafava will have to work hard in the next few days to stop this erosion.