John Liu The Frontrunner in ONE Straw Poll

While Comptroller John Liu is currently polling in the single digits among Democratic primary voters, he managed to be the frontrunner for a day, at least at his home base.  In an informal straw poll, conducted at a recent forum sponsored by the Asian American Federation on April 9 event, Mr. Liu came out at the top of the pack of Democrats, garnering 54 percent, Andrew Hawkins reports. . Public Advocate Bill de Blasio came in second, with 29%. Sal Albanese nabbed 15% of the vote, Speaker Christine Quinn and former Comptroller Bill Thompson were both tied at 2%. 

Organizers said about 150 people attended and participated in the straw poll. Cao O, executive director of the AAF, said Mr. Albanese had more time on stage than the other candidates due to Mr. de Blasio's late arrival, which may explain his better-than-average poll numbers. The rest of the numbers could be a gauge of the audience's level of familiarity with each of the candidates, Mr. O said. 

 As the first Asian-American to be a major candidate for mayor, Mr. Liu's high approval rating among attendees at the AAF forum was hardly surprising. More surprising, perhaps, was Mr. de Blasio's favorable ranking. 

His camp attributes it to his message of support for small businesses and liberal values. "Bill's message of fighting for every community and every borough resonates in front of any audience," a campaign source said. "When New Yorkers hear about de Blasio's progressive agenda, they support it."