Poll: Dem Candidates Beat GOP Lhota: 31% Democratic primary Voters Remain Undecided

The three major Democratic candidates for mayor would beat Joe Lhota, the favored Republican mayoral candidate by a large margin, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.  

Former MTA Chair & CEO Joseph Lhota leads in the Republican primary with 23 percent of the vote, followed by businessman John Catsimatidis with 9 percent, newspaper publisher Tom Allon with 5 percent, former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion with 3 percent and Doe Fund founder George McDonald with 2 percent, while 53 percent remain undecided.

Among Democrats, Coucil Speaker, Christine Quinn retains a double-digit lead over her likely rivals, with thirty-five percent of the vote, compared to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio who has 11 percent, 10 percent for former City Comptroller William Thompson and 9 percent for Comptroller John Liu.

Quinn has steadily risen in Quinnpiac polling, going from 26 percent percent in May to 35 percent today. The other candidates have basically held steady, including de Blasio.

31 percent still remain undecided, which gives place for another candidate to officlaly jump in and gain momentum.

Sal Albanese and Erick Salgado have also expressed their willingness to participate in the Democratic primary for mayor.

“Council Speaker Christine Quinn still dominates the Democratic field.  There is almost no gender gap for any candidate.  For example, Quinn gets 36 percent of women and 34 percent of men, while Liu gets 10 percent of men and 9 percent of women,” said Maurice Carrol, Quinnipiac University pollster.

When asked if they have a favorable or unfavorable view of De Blaiso, Liu and Thompson, a majority of Democratic voters said they "haven't heard enough" to form an opinion. For Quinn, only 26 percent say they haven't heard enough.

By 3-1 margins or more, New York City voters back any of the three leading Democrats over Lhota:

•             Quinn leads 62 – 17 percent;

•             Thompson is up 55 – 19 percent;

•             de Blasio is on top 57 – 17 percent.

In a May 2, 2001, Quinnipiac University poll, then-Republican Michael B1oomberg trailed Democratic contenders by margins of 52 – 24 percent or more.

Besides deficits of 68 to 76 percentage points among Democrats, Lhota trails among independent voters, 44 – 24 percent against Quinn, 38 – 26 percent against Thompson and        39 – 24 percent against de Blasio.

"Who are those guys?" asked poll director Maurice Carroll, rhetorically. "Almost no one knows the Republicans who say they want to be mayor."