August 14, 2013

DEBLASIO TAKES LEAD IN MAYORAL POLL






N.Y. TIMES

In a jolt to the Democratic campaign for mayor, a new poll suggests that Bill de Blasio, the most liberal of the leading candidates, has vaulted into first place among likely voters.

With one month to go until the Sept. 10 primary, Mr. de Blasio has now passed Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker, who had led in most polls for months, although her lead had already narrowed.
Until a month or so ago, Mr. de Blasio had been mired in fourth place, about 10 points behind Ms. Quinn. He was then overtaken by former Representative Anthony D. Weiner, who momentarily overwhelmed the field after entering the race. More recently, Mr. de Blasio was battling for second place with William C. Thompson Jr., a former comptroller.
The new Quinnipiac University survey of 579 likely Democratic voters in the Sept. 10 primary found Mr. de Blasio, who has been an outspoken critic of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on policing and other issues, with the support of 30 percent of voters. Ms. Quinn had 24 percent, Mr. Thompson 22 percent, and Mr. Weiner was down to 10 percent.
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But Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, suggested that the numbers would most likely continue to change, especially because most of the candidates have just begun to air television commercials.